WTC Final: Tim Southee Breaks Ricky Ponting’s Massive Record, Inches Close to MS Dhoni’s Tally
Tim Southee has a decent average of 20.55 in Test cricket.
New Delhi: New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee is not only making bowling records but also he is creating new records with the bat. Southee scored two sixes in his 30-run knock in the ongoing World Test Championship final against India at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton on Tuesday.
Thus, Southee has broken former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting’s record of sixes in Test matches. With two sixes in the first innings of the WTC Final, Southee has now scored 75 sixes in 79 Test matches and he has gone past Ricky Ponting’s tally, who scored 73 sixes in his glorious career of 168 Test matches.
In fact, Southee is on the cusp of breaking MS Dhoni’s record as well. The former Indian skipper had scored 78 sixes in 90 Test matches.
The lanky Kiwi player is no mug with the bat as he has an average of 20.55 in Test cricket. Southee has scored a total of five fifties in the red-ball version whereas he has scored 1728 runs.
Most sixes in Test cricket
Brendon McCullum – 107 in 101 matches
Adam Gilchrist – 100 in 96 matches
Chris Gayle – 98 in 103 matches
Jacques Kallis 97 in 166 matches
Virender Sehwag 91 in 104 matches
Brian Lara – 88 in 131 matches
Chris Cairns – 87 in 62 matches
Vivian Richards – 84 in 121 matches
Andrew Flintoff – 82 in 79 matches
Matthew Hayden – 82 in 103 matches
Misbah ul Haq – 81 in 75 matches
Kevin Pietersen – 81 in 104 matches
Ben Stokes – 79 in 71 matches
MS Dhoni – 78 in 90 matches
Tim Southee – 75 in 79 matches
Ricky Ponting – 73 in 168 matches.
On the other hand, Tim Southee also took his 600th wicket in International cricket across the three formats when he plumbed Shubman Gill in front of the wickets. Meanwhile, it was a crucial cameo from Tim Southee as it helped New Zealand get past India’s score of 217 runs. New Zealand was skittled out for 249 runs and thus got a lead of 32 runs.
India is currently 35-1 and leads by three runs.