Sixes in cricket are synonymous with the limited overs cricket, particularly the T20 format, where we see a plethora of maximums being hit. On the other hand, we don’t see teams or players hitting boundary sixes in Tests, as this is a format where runs are earned by grinding and stroke play, rather than power hitting.
But as the game progressed, we have seen players taking an aggressive approach even in the Test format. With the advent of T20s, the intent got rubbed into Tests as well, and we now see many teams are willing to take risks in the format. Risk in Tests means taking the aerial route (hitting sixes) to score runs, in addition to playing it the traditional way.
Here are the teams that have hit the most sixes in a calendar year in the longest format of the game.
Most Test Sixes by a Team in a Calendar Year
| Team | Year | Mat | Runs | 6s | 4s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2024 | 15 | 7143 | 142 | 752 |
| New Zealand | 2024 | 12 | 5988 | 113 | 639 |
| England | 2024 | 17 | 8889 | 102 | 999 |
| England | 2022 | 15 | 7714 | 89 | 923 |
| India | 2021 | 14 | 6677 | 87 | 804 |
| India | 2025 | 10 | 5538 | 83 | 635 |
| New Zealand | 2014 | 9 | 5456 | 81 | 600 |
| South Africa | 2025 | 8 | 4305 | 75 | 426 |
| New Zealand | 2013 | 12 | 5445 | 71 | 659 |
| Australia | 2005 | 15 | 8320 | 70 | 1019 |
| India | 2016 | 12 | 6678 | 70 | 727 |
| India | 2019 | 8 | 4434 | 70 | 513 |
| Australia | 2001 | 14 | 7552 | 69 | 957 |
| Australia | 2013 | 14 | 7623 | 69 | 874 |
| England | 2023 | 8 | 4784 | 69 | 533 |
Key Insights
142 – India hold the record for hitting the most sixes by a team in a calendar year in Test cricket. The Indian men collectively smashed 142 maximums across 29 innings. India eclipsed England’s six-hitting mark of 89 that they set in 2022.
36 – Yashasvi Jaiswal struck 36 maximums in 2024, the most by any batter in a single year. He overtook Brendon McCullum, who hit 33 sixes in 2014.
4 – This is the number of times India have amassed 70 or more sixes in a year in the Test format, the most by any side. New Zealand comes in second with three instances of hammering more than 70 sixes in a calendar year.
6.36 – India’s sixes per innings ratio achieved in 2019, the best by a team in a year in Test cricket. The Indian team smashed 70 sixes in 11 innings that year.
77.03 – It is the highest strike rate by a team in a calendar year in Test cricket and it was achieved by England back in 2023.
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