It is common to witness teams categorizing their talent pool based on the formats they could excel in. Especially after the advent of T20 cricket, this practice has touched its peak. Hence, the term ‘all-format cricketers’ has taken significance only in recent years. In line with this term, we have seen several players, who were initially regarded as specialists in one format, excel in the other. In this article, we take a look at the five best white-ball players who succeeded in Test cricket, as well.
1) Virat Kohli (India)
Test Cricket Stats: Matches – 94 || Runs – 7609 || Average – 51.41
Virat Kohli is also one of the best white-ball players who succeeded in Test cricket. In an interesting fact, it is only three years after Virat made his ODI debut that he got a Test cap for Team India. In fact, it was after India’s triumph at the 2011 World Cup that the current Indian captain got a chance in the Test side.
For a few years, too, Virat was never rated highly in the five-day format. He failed on the tour of the West Indies and England, which did not help his case. Meanwhile, he was performing brilliantly in the limited-overs format. However, once he found his groove, Virat became one of the best Test cricketers in the game.
2) David Warner (Australia)
Test Cricket Stats: Matches – 86 || Runs – 7311 || Average – 48.09
David Warner made his T20I debut for Australia even before playing first-class cricket. From then, he was reserved for the white-ball sides. Very few thought he would make the switch to the Test setup.
However, in 2011, he made his debut in Tests and in one of the initial games itself, he carried the bat, becoming one of the very few Aussies to have done it. Warner also has a triple-hundred, apart from owning the distinction to have made a 69-ball ton in a Test match.
3) Jasprit Bumrah (India)
Test Cricket Stats: Matches – 22 || Wickets – 95 || Average – 22.62
As soon as Jasprit Bumrah was drafted into the Indian setup, many were convinced that he was going to be restricted to the white-ball game. Bumrah’s run-containing skills, ability to dish out yorkers, and unorthodox action were the points used in the debate. Until two years after he had made his India debut, even the management was of the same opinion.
However, Bumrah impressed the selectors so much with the skills that he was put on India’s Tour of South Africa in 2018. In no time, the Gujarat cricketer became a central part of the Test bowling attack, and in the same year, he further proved himself by helping India win a test series in Australia. Hence, he is also one of the white-ball players who succeeded in Test cricket.
4) Rohit Sharma (India)
Test Cricket Stats: Matches – 41 || Runs – 2831 || Average – 46.40
In 2010, after VVS Laxman was ruled out, Rohit Sharma was supposed to make his Test debut. However, just before the game, Rohit got injured in training and was ruled out of the game. He had to wait for almost three more years to make his Test debut. Before that, he had played almost 100 ODIs for Team India.
Although he started on a great note against West Indies, which was also the farewell series for Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit found it hard to retain the form. However, he was gradually making runs in limited-overs and became an undroppable figure in the white-ball formats. In 2019, Rohit became the opener in Tests, and he is in form since then. Apart from striking three centuries in that series, he has been one of the most consistent Test cricketers for India in recent months.
5) Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
Test Cricket Stats: Matches – 16 || Runs – 873 || Average – 41.57
A name that’s often in the news in recent months, Mohammad Rizwan currently holds an important position in the Pakistan cricket team across formats. The vice-captain of the country’s Test squad, Rizwan, though, was not meant for the red-ball format at the start of his career.
Although he made his debut in the ODI and T20I format soon after the 2015 World Cup, it was a year later that Rizwan got his Test cap. However, he was out for a golden duck in his first Test innings. For the next three years, he did not don the whites. However, he has returned to the squad recently and has impressed in all three formats, especially in the longer one. He was Pakistan’s player of the series against England recently.
