10 of the Greatest Six-Hitters in Test Cricket

While Test cricket is seemingly all about batting for long periods of time and building big scores, that doesn't mean there isn't a place in the format for hitting sixes.

In the modern game, spectators have become used to seeing players clear the boundary rope.

Whether it be bigger bats, the crossover of skills from limited-overs cricket or better pitches, sixes no longer seem a rare sight in a Test match.

To celebrate the art of hitting big shots, and considering June 13 is Chris Cairns' birthday, here are the top 10 six-hitters in the long form of the game.

Test appearances: 103

Sixes hit: 82

Matthew Hayden had become a regular in Australia's team early in his career.

The left-handed opener made his Test debut in 1994 yet made just seven appearances over the next six years.

Towards the end of 2000, however, he finally established himself in the XI.

Hayden went on to become a pillar of strength for his country, setting the tone at the top of the order with his powerful hitting and desire to dominate opposing attacks.

He smashed 11 sixes in his world-record score of 380 against Zimbabwe, while his best formula for countering spin bowling was to look to hit over the top, either down the ground or with the slog-sweep.

Test appearances: 79

Sixes hit: 82

Andrew Flintoff has hit the same number of Test maximums as Matthew Hayden, yet sits above the Australian because he achieved the feat in fewer matches.

The England all-rounder had the size and power to clear any boundary in world cricket.

His most famous six came against West Indies at Edgbaston, as he made a career-best 167 in the second Test of the series in 2004.

Flintoff launched Jermaine Lawson into the stands at long-on, somehow managing to pick out his father in the crowd.

However, Colin Flintoff was unable to cling on to the crowd catch, much to his son's amusement, per BBC Sport: "He plays at the weekend and comes home every week telling me what a great catch he has taken. But I think he has now proved to everyone that he is terrible!"

Test appearances: 121

Sixes hit: 84

Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards gained the nickname "Master Blaster" for a reason.

The Antiguan had a certain swagger at the crease, chewing gum and treating bowlers with utter disdain. He was particularly wonderful at hitting through mid-wicket, even if the ball was pitched outside off stump.

He was also someone who would go after anything dug in short, using the hook and pull to send balls soaring over the rope.

His Test-best score of 291, made against England at the Oval in 1976, did not actually include one six.

However, he hit seven of them against the same opponents 10 years later at his home ground of St John's, helping him reach three figures in just 56 deliveries—a record in Test cricket.

Per Andrew Baker of the Telegraph, England spinner John Emburey described it as "the biggest carnage I has [sic] seen in such a short space of time in any first-class game."

Test appearances: 62

Sixes hit: 87

Chris Cairns was an all-rounder for New Zealand who could make a huge impact with both bat and ball.

When he was at the crease, the right-hander was never one to hold back. He was tall and could launch bowlers straight down the ground with relative ease.

He made five Test centuries in his career, with his best score of 158 coming off just 171 deliveries. South Africa were the side on the receiving end in Auckland, with Cairns hitting seven sixes along the way.

However, his highest number of maximums in a Test knock came against Zimbabwe, as he made 120.

Cairns launched nine sixes in total, as well as 10 fours, as he went along at a strike-rate of 125.00.

Test appearances: 131

Sixes hit: 88

Brian Lara measured 5'8", but the left-hander proved you didn't need to be huge to hit the cricket ball a long way.

The left-hander broke the world record for the highest individual Test score by a batsman not once but twice.

He did not actually hit a single six in his 375 against England in Antigua in 1994, though there were four maximums at the same venue a decade later when he became the first player to make 400 in a Test.

Lara's most brutal innings, in terms of sixes, came against Pakistan in Multan: The Trinidadian cleared the boundary seven times as he made 216.

He would often target opposing spinners and would happily use his feet to get down the track and hit them back over their heads.

Test appearances: 104

Sixes hit: 91

Virender Sehwag was an opener with a difference—he never batted with the aim of nullifying the new ball, instead attempting to ruin it by belting it to all parts.

The right-hander struck six Test scores of 200 or more, including making 293 from 254 deliveries against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

He holds the record for the second-fastest double century but is more than just a hitter: He boasts a Test average of 49.34.

Sehwag was small in size but had a big presence at the crease during his playing days with India.

Bowlers always fancied their chances, as he relied less on footwork and more on his excellent hand-eye coordination and tremendous bat speed.

Test appearances: 94

Sixes hit: 95

Brendon McCullum may be known for his aggressive style of opening in limited-overs cricket, yet it's not like he holds back when he's wearing Test whites.

New Zealand's captain, who has batted in a variety of positions in the order during his career, has twice hit 11 sixes in an innings before.

He first achieved the feat in November 2014, as he took Pakistan's bowlers for 202 in Sharjah.

Just a month later, he did it again, this time treating the Boxing Day crowd in Christchurch to a masterful display of striking against Sri Lanka. The right-hander ended up making 195 from just 134 deliveries.

Only Pakistan's Wasim Akram—who launched 12 sixes in his unbeaten 257 against Zimbabwe, per S Rajesh of ESPN Cricinfo—has struck more maximums in a Test knock.

Test appearances: 166

Sixes hit: 97

Jacques Kallis may come as a surprising name in the top three of the sixes charts.

The South Africa all-rounder was known for his stylish batting during an outstanding Test career that saw him retire with a batting average of 55.37.

However, the right-hander could clear the rope when he wanted to.

He hit five sixes in an innings on four occasions, including once against Zimbabwe in Cape Town when he set a new record for the fastest Test half-century (Misbah-ul-Haq has since done it quicker).

A technically gifted player, Kallis became known for hitting booming drives that saw him finish with a flourishing follow-through.

Test appearances: 103

Sixes hit: 98

West Indian Chris Gayle is known for his six-hitting abilities, no matter what format he is playing in.

The left-hander made Test history in 2012, per BBC Sport, when he hit the first ball of the match against Bangladesh over the boundary at long-on.

He blasted nine maximums in his highest score of 333 against Sri Lanka in Galle, having decided the best policy to counter the home side's spinners was to hit them to all parts.

Gayle also hammered six sixes (not all in a row, mind) when he made 102 in just 72 balls against Australia in Perth.

The disappointment is that the Jamaican is not currently playing Test cricket.

His last appearance was in September 2014, though he recently told ESPN Cricinfo (h/t Barbados Today): "People all say Chris is the king of T20, Chris is the this and that of T20, I am the king of Test cricket too."

Test appearances: 96

Sixes hit: 100

Adam Gilchrist is the only player so far to have hit a century of Test sixes.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was a destructive force for Australia coming in at seven, often with his side in a strong position to allow him to be at his brutal best.

He thrashed eight sixes in his Test-best score of 204 not out, with South Africa the team on the receiving end.

Perhaps his most brutal knock, however, came against England in the 2006/07 Ashes series.

Gilchrist launched the tourists to all parts, including taking 24 off one Monty Panesar over, as he reached his century in 57 deliveries, meaning he just missed out on sharing the record for the fastest Test ton.

The left-hander may want to make the most of his place at the summit; McCullum is likely to move past his number of maximums, and so could Gayle if he does make a Test comeback.

All stats used in the article were from ESPN Cricinfo