Five Test Specialists Who Have Played T20 And ODIs In The Past

The three formats of cricket, namely, Test, ODIs, and T20s despite their fair share of similarities, are very different from each, and this what makes the gentleman’s game truly unique.

Each format requires a different skillset, different abilities, but there are some players such as Team India’s captain Virat Kohli, who plays all three formats with equal expertise. Then there are some players who play just one format, for example, players who opt to play just Test cricket are called Test specialists.

There are various such players around the world, who like to play just the purest format of the sport, but did you know are some Test specialists who used to play in the limited-overs cricket as well, earlier in their careers?

Here are five Test specialists who have played T20s and ODIs in the past:

5) Mohammad Abbas

First up, Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas, who has played 18 Test matches for the national team, and has 75 dismissals to his name, with an average of 20.76. Few people know that the 30-year-old has played ODIs in the past because he is renowned as a Test specialist across the border.

Abbas has just 3 ODI caps for Pakistan, in fact, he only made his debut last year, and has taken just one solitary wicket, in the format. The right-handed pacer is a regular feature in the Test team, but he is not in contention for the T20 and ODIs formats.

4) Dean Elgar

South Africa’s opening batsman Dean Elgar is one of the most consistent performers for the Proteas in the purest format, and his stats back that claim. The 32-year-old has scored 3888 runs in Test cricket so far, with an average of 38. His track record shows that the team rely on him, very much.

However, Elgar has failed to find similar success in limited-overs formats, having played just eight ODI matches for South Africa, and he’s managed to score a paltry 104 runs as of yet, with an average of 17.33.

The Test specialist made his debut in the 50-overs format in 2012, but he hasn’t played in either of T20 and ODI format for a long time.

3) BJ Watling

Only a few people might know that veteran wicket-keeper batsman BJ Watling has played T20 and ODIs as well, for New Zealand, in the past. He didn’t impress in the limited-overs formats though, as much as he could in Test cricket.

Watling has played 28 ODI matches for his country, scoring 573 runs in the process, with a mediocre average of 25. The right-handed batsman has played T20Is as well, but he’s got just 38 runs to show for it. Whereas, the story is very different when it comes to the purest format.

Watling has played 70 Test matches for the Kiwis and has struck 3685 runs in the format, and is therefore considered as a Test specialist.

2) Kraigg Brathwaite

Kraigg Brathwaite is often considered as the centrepiece of West Indies’ Test team. He is the most consistent player for the Caribbean side when it comes to the longer format. However, few people know that Brathwaite has previously played T20 and ODIs as well, in the past.

Although he couldn’t find the same success in limited-overs formats, which is obvious, as the 27-year-old falls in the category of Test specialists. Still, Brathwaite has played 10 ODI matches, having made his debut in 2016. He could score just 278 runs in the format, and thus the right-handed batsman decided to stick to Tests.

Brathwaite has played 59 matches in the purest format, having amassed 3496 runs with an average of 33.29. He’s got eight centuries and 17 fifties to his name.

1) Cheteshwar Pujara

One of the most reliable Indian batsmen when it comes to Test cricket, Cheteshwar Pujara too, has tried a hand in T20 and ODIs, although things didn’t work out for him. Pujara has earned five ODI caps, but he could score just 51 runs in those five matches, with a low average of 10.2

The right-handed batsman made his debut against Zimbabwe but last played an ODI for India in 2014. All this while, his best score in the 50-overs format remains at 27. While Pujara didn’t represent the national team in T20Is, he did feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) briefly.

The 32-year-old has played 77 matches in his favoured format, and he has 5840 runs to show for it, with a healthy average of 48.67. Pujara has scored a staggering 18 centuries and 25 fifties in Tests and is therefore considered one of the best Test specialists in the world.