We have looked at the highest Test scores without sixes and fours. Now we look at the counterpart-scores with the most sixes, fours and boundary runs in Tests.
A basic reference would be the highest Test innings scores:
which most fans are generally aware of, including Sehwag’s 319 in 2008 which is the highest for India
We also look at the lesser-known
Highest Test match scores (adding scores of both innings):
While everyone knows about Lara’s record of 400* and earlier record-holders such as Hayden, Sobers and Hutton the record scores in a match are not so well known. The record is held by Gooch (456) followed by Mark Taylor (426) and Sangakkara (424). Gooch and Sangakkara are the only ones to score a triple century and century in the same Test. The highest for India is the relatively old 344 (124 and 220) by Gavaskar in 1971.
We now look more closely at fours and sixes:
For Test innings:
Most sixes:
Akram’s 12 6s has been the record since 1996. He took the record from Hammond (10) made back in 1933.
Sidhu and Agarwal also appear from India.
Holder, Stokes and Agarwal all scored 8 6s in an innings in 2019.
It is interesting to compare the record for most sixes in a Test match:
The record recently passed to Rohit Sharma with 13 6s in his two centuries against South Africa. Before that, Akram’s 12 (in one innings!) was the match record standing since 1996.
Now we look at the most fours in a Test innings:
This record was made over a half-century ago with Edrich’s 52 (plus 5 sixes) against New Zealand in 1965. Next are Sehwag (47 in a score of 293) and Bradman (46 in 334)
The most fours in a Test match:
Edrich is in third place with 52, after Gooch and VVS Laxman (56 in two innings).
The next question one may ask is regarding the most runs in boundaries in an innings and match. This requires putting the Statsguru results into a spreadsheet for further work. This is what we get:
Most runs in an innings in boundaries:
Here we see that the most is 238 (out of 310) by Edrich, being (52*4)+(5*6) = 238. Next come Hayden (218/380) and Inzamam (206/329) before two by Sehwag (202/293 and 198/319). Sehwag indeed has 4 of the top 10 entries here!
And finally, the most runs in a match in boundaries:
Edrich’s 238 in one innings is surpassed only by Gooch’s 266 (56*4 + 7*6) in his two centuries . Sangakkara is third with 232 (from 319+105) and VVS Laxman fourth with 224 (from 59+281).
To sum up:
Highest innings: 400* by Lara in 2004
Highest total runs in a match: 456 by Gooch in 1990
Most sixes in an innings (12 in 257*) by Wasim Akram vs Zimbabwe in 1996
Most fours in an innings (52 in 310*) by JH Edrich vs New Zealand in 1965
Most sixes in a match (13 in 176+127) by RG Sharma vs South Africa in 2019
Most fours in a match (56 in 333+123, 56 in 59+281) by GA Gooch (1990) and VVS Laxman (2001) respectively
Most runs in boundaries in an innings (238 = 52*4 +5*6) by JH Edrich in 1965.
Most runs in boundaries in a match (266 = 56*4+7*6) by GA Gooch in 1990
Remember that Gooch’s 456 runs in this match is the most in any Test or indeed any first-class match.
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