Players with the most number of International matches before Test debut
There is a reason why Test cricket is hailed as the ultimate form of cricket; a format which tests a cricketers' patience, perseverance, temperament, tenacity, and character to the hilt.
You might get away with a limited skill-set in white-ball cricket but in Test cricket, there's no hiding. The aforementioned facts are the reason why earning a Test cap remains an ultimate dream for any cricketer.
Recently, Aaron Finch made his Test match debut for Australia against Pakistan on their ongoing tour of the UAE.
Already a pivotal member of Australia's limited-overs set-up (4957 runs at 40.30 in 135 Internationals), Finch had to wait for 135 International matches to finally earn the coveted Baggy Green.
While the Test match might not be going Australia's way, Finch celebrated his debut with scores of 62 & 49.
Today, in this article, we'll have a look at the other players who played the most number of International matches before making their Test match debut.
#4 Andrew Symonds (94)
A gun fielder, more than a handful bowler in the middle-overs and an absolute monster with the bat, Andrew Symonds brought gusto in whatever he did on a cricket field.
Symonds made his ODI debut for Australia in 1998 against Pakistan but sporadic performances resulted in him being in and out of the side. All that changed one fine day in 2003.
In a tournament (ICC World Cup) that he was not expected to feature in, Symonds crafted a masterly 143 off 125 balls against the likes of Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib Akhter to lift Australia from a precarious position. Symonds went on to become a pivotal part of the Aussie ODI set-up and finally bagged the coveted Baggy Green a year later against Sri Lanka.
The 2007-08 season was arguably his best, with 777 runs in nine Tests including a controversial 162 at the SCG which ended with a lengthy race row involving Harbhajan Singh in what came to be known as 'The Monkeygate scandal'.
The scandal proved to be the beginning of the end for Andrew Symond's career as a series of disciplinary violations led to his termination of the central contract in 2009.
Symonds played his final Test for Australia against South Africa at the 2008 Boxing Day; a match remembered for Dale Steyn's heroics with the ball and Australia's first series defeat at home since 1992-93 (lost to West Indies 1-2).
In all, Symonds donned the Baggy Green in 26 Test matches for Australia and scored 1462 runs at a respectable average of 40.61.