India-South Africa series in Vizag stadium records most number of sixes in a Test match

Visakhapatnam: The Test match series between India and South Africa in Vizag stadium broke the record for the most number of sixes in a Test match on Sunday. In the energetic game, players from both sides jointly hit 37 sixes in the last and final day of the game. The previous record for the maximum sixes was 35 sixes, in Pakistan-New Zealand match in 2014 in Sharjah.

India’s opener Rohit Sharma broke the record for most sixes in a Test match with 13 sixes in on Saturday, surpassing Pakistan’s all-rounder Wasim Akram. It may be recalled that Akram smashed 12 sixes in a Test match against Zimbabwe in 1996. India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also created a record on Sunday becoming the fastest to take 350 Test wickets. Ashwin registered the record, matching Sri Lankan’s off-spinner Muttiah Muralidharan’s feat in his 66th Test match.

India dismissed South Africa for 191 runs in their second innings on the fifth and final day to win the opening Test by 203 runs here in Vizag Stadium on Sunday. Defending a 395-run target, India’s left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Mohammed Shami collapsed South Africa’s batting order. The home team won the match and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

However, records are not new to the Vizag stadium. In 2009, the stadium (Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy-Andhra Cricket Association-Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium) became the longest named cricket stadium in the world. The name of the former AP chief minister was affixed after he passed away in 2009. The stadium, which lies in the outskirts of Vizag and between two hillocks, had hosted the first ODI match in 2005 and the first Test match in 2016.