4 Indian Test specialists who failed to make a mark in ODIs
The advent of T20 has changed the dynamics of cricket completely. The ratio of players who can play both ODIs and Tests has gone down drastically; only a handful of players like Virat Kohli, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Steven Smith, David Warner, Kane Williamson and Joe Root have succeeded in all the three formats of the game.
While the ODI batsmen struggle for technique, endurance and patience in Tests, the Test batsmen struggle to adjust to the fast-paced style of ODIs. And that's particularly true of India; the country's ODI legends like Ajay Jadeja, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma have failed to make any impact in Test cricket.
In this article, we are going to look at the reverse case: Indian Test match specialists who struggled to make a mark in ODIs despite getting several chances.
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara
The Saurashtra batsman played two ODI games against Zimbabwe and three against Bangladesh in the 2013-14 season. However, he couldn't succeed in the limited overs format as he scored only 51 runs from his five innings. His dismal strike-rate of 39.23 led to his downfall in ODIs.
In stark contrast, Pujara has been a pillar of the Indian batting line-up in Tests for the past seven years. He is maintaining an average of 50.49 in Tests which includes 16 centuries. He is constantly compared to Rahul Dravid because of his assured technique and for his ability to bat for sessions.
Pujara's success in Tests would have made many wonder why couldn't replicate the same in ODIs. But his low strike-rate made him a not-so-apt candidate for the middle and lower-middle order, along with making him unsuitable for the top order.
Moreover, India's stability in the ODI top order with likes of Rohit, Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli has cancelled out Pujara's chance to shine in ODIs.