5 ODI Legends who had a less successful career in Test Cricket
It is really tough for a cricket player to expertise in all the formats of the game. The advent of ODI cricket, and then T20 cricket, meant that the style of play of the players also underwent a huge change. While there are still a lot of players who adjust their style of play according to the format they are playing in, there are many others who have incorporated their aggressive batting style in the longest format as well.
Anyhow, playing Test cricket for their team is the ultimate dream of every young cricketer in the world. However, there are some players, like Rohit Sharma, Martin Guptill, and Aaron Finch, who, despite being well-established players in the shorter format, have failed so far to solidify their place in the Test team.
This thing is not new to the world of cricket, however. Even in the past, the cricketing world has seen players who were match winning members of their team in the ODI squad but failed to capitalize on the opportunities they were given in the longest format. After listing 5 Test legends who failed in the Shorter Format, here are 5 such players who, despite being ODI legends, were less successful in Test Cricket.
Ajay Jadeja (India)
Unofficially regarded as the original Finisher of the Indian team in ODI Cricket, Ajay Jadeja was inarguably the most important cricketer in the Indian ODI line-up, after Sachin Tendulkar, in the 1990s.
In his International career that lasted 8 years, Jadeja played 196 matches for the Indian team and compiled a grand total of 5,359 runs at an average of 37.47. His knocks at the top of the order and at the tail end of the innings won plenty of matches for the team.
Always labelled as an ODI specialist, Jadeja failed to solidify his place in India's squad in the longest format despite being the vice-captain in ODIs.
Underwhelming performances in the opportunities that he was given and the emergence of a new breed of cricketer meant that Jadeja's test career only lasted for 15 matches, in which he only managed 576 runs at a disappointing average of only 26.18.