Most runs after six Tests in a career

The jump from domestic cricket to international cricket is quite difficult and most of the batters tend to take their time settling into the national team. But some batters have made a seamless transition and have looked in the groove from the get at the biggest of the stage. We glance at some of the most prolific run scorers after their first six matches in Test cricket.

Abdullah Shafique (Paksitan) – 720 runs

Pakistan’s man of the moment, Abdullah Shafique, is among some elite company on this list. The opening batter has amassed 720 runs in his six matches at an incredible average of 80. The 22-year-old made his debut in red-ball cricket against Bangladesh in 2021, but it was his maiden century against Australia his third outing for the national team that caught the eyes. Pakistan have got their hands on a mighty fine batter if he keeps performing as he did against Sri Lanka.

George Headley (West Indies) – 730 runs

One of the greatest batters of his generation, George Headley was labelled as the black Don Bradman by many, while his fans labelled Don Bradman as the white George Headley. The West Indian great played for the country on both sides of the Second World War and had an enviable record, scoring 2190 runs in just 22 matches along with ten centuries at an average of 60.83. In his first six matches, he scored 730 runs with three centuries and a double century, all of which came against England.

Don Bradman (Australia) – 862 runs

Widely regarded as the greatest Test batter of all time, the inclusion of Don Bradman in this list is no surprise to anyone. With nearly 7000 runs in just 52 Tests, averaging an astonishing 99.94, Bradman dominated the game of cricket like no one else. During his first six matches in red-ball cricket, the legendary batter scored 862 runs by breaching the three-figure mark on four occasions, one of them being a score of 254 against England at the home of cricket.

Sunil Gavaskar (India) – 912 runs

Sunil Gavaskar’s name on this list might surprise a few people because of the fierce opponents he faced. Gavaskar was the first batter to breach the 10000-run mark in Tests, and while several batters have gotten past his record since, Gavaskar’s record is still held in the highest of regards since he scored the majority of his runs against the mighty West Indies team who had some of the most brutal bowlers the game has ever seen. The technically accomplished batter scored a mind-boggling 912 runs in his first six matches along with three centuries and one double century, all of them coming against West Indies in his first four matches in international cricket.