5 cricketers whose Test career was helped greatly because of T20 cricket

All the speculation and negativity which surrounded the T20 format in its initial few years has died down with the passage of time. It has managed to break away from the ‘exhibition’ image and has emerged as yet another form of serious cricket alongside Test cricket and 50-over cricket.There also used to be a lot of talk about the adverse impact it may have on players who also play the longest format of the game. However, a number of top Test cricketers in the present day have been assisted in their rise primarily by T20 cricket.Let’s take a look at 5 such cricketers from recent times:

#5 Ravindra Jadeja (India)

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been quick to find his footing in the Test arena. However, had it not been for T20 cricket, we are not sure if one would have even seen Jadeja make his way into the Test side.

The allrounder burst on to the scene in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, when he impressed for the Rajasthan Royals under the captaincy of Shane Warne. It helped him earn a call up to the limited-overs sides but Tests still eluded him.

But ever since he became part of the Chennai Super Kings and became a trusted soldier there for skipper MS Dhoni, he started to knock on the doors of Test cricket. Ravindra Jadeja made his Test debut in 2012 and has been quite regular in the team from then onwards, especially in home Tests.