5 Players with the most ODIs before their Test debut

It is a dream of every cricketer to play Test cricket. Ask any player, he will tell you that he treasures the Test cap the most and earning/wearing the Test cap for the first time is one of the proudest moments. Most players term it as the best format and they treat it as the most important format of the game as well.

However, not everyone gets a go straightaway and players work their way into the Test team in different ways. Most of them perform in the domestic tournaments in their respective countries, break the selection door and get a chance. But now we have seen a new trend as well. Players try to smash the door down with white-ball performances and then try to get a look in, just like Aaron Finch recently did.

Hence, here let’s look at five players who have played most ODIs before making their Test debut. Who tops the list? Does Finch make this list after playing limited-overs cricket for over 7 years?

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#5 Aaron Finch – 93 ODIs

Aaron Finch is all set to make his Test debut against Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai today (October 7, 2018). The 31-year-old opener from Victoria made his ODI debut in January 2013. However, he had played 3 T20Is before (he made his T20I debut in January).

It’s been more than 5 and a half years since his ODI debut and he is finally getting a crack at Test cricket. He’s been in excellent form in the last couple of years in white ball cricket. In 30 international games (16 ODIs and 14 T20Is) since the start of 2017, he’s scored 1463 runs at an average of 56.26. He’s scored 5 tons in this period as well.

Even in Sheffield Shield cricket, he’s done quite well. He’s scored 1075 runs at an average of 43.00 over the last couple of years (2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons). His strike-rate has been pretty high as well.

He is also one of only two players who have scored over 3000 ODI runs before making the Test debut. Hence, with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft banned, Finch has got an opportunity to showcase his talent in the longest format of the game.

#4 Andrew Symonds – 94 ODIs

Andrew Symonds was a pretty unique cricketer. He was one of those rare players who could do almost everything on a cricket field. He was a brilliant batsman and with the ball, he could bowl spin and (medium) pace equally well. He was a superb fielder and could field anywhere.

He made his ODI debut back in 1998 against Pakistan but it took close to 6 years for him to feature in the Test side. It was only in March 2004 that he got a chance at the Test match level. Till then Symonds had already scored 2044 runs and picked up 72 wickets in ODI cricket.

He didn’t have the best of starts in Test cricket as he registered a duck in his very first innings. However, he played 26 Tests in the space of 5 years and had decent returns. He scored 1462 runs in 41 innings at an average of 40.61 and also picked up 24 wickets.

Symonds last played international cricket in 2009.

#3 Chamu Chibhabha – 96 ODIs

This is one player a lot of people might not have heard about. Chamu Chibhabha is an opening (top-order) batsman from Zimbabwe and he holds the record for playing the third most ODIs before turning up to play Test cricket.

The Masvingo-born right-hander took more than 11 years to make it to the Test side i.e. he made his ODI debut in 2005. He represented Zimbabwe in 96 ODIs and 30 T20Is before making his Test debut in July 2016 against New Zealand.

He has played just 3 Tests since his debut and has scored 124 runs in 6 innings. He has scored one fifty in the longest format to go with his 21 half-centuries (16 in ODIs and 5 in T20Is) in limited-overs cricket.

He recently played in the ODI series against Pakistan but was dropped for the next series against South Africa.

#2 Suresh Raina – 98 ODIs

The world has always seen Suresh Raina as a limited-overs specialist, someone who can change the game very quickly. However, he is one of the 15 Indians to score a century on Test debut. In fact, he was the first Indian to score a century in all three formats.

However, it took time for Raina to break into the Test team. He made his ODI debut in 2005 and it was only in 2010 when Yuvraj Singh got injured, he made his Test debut. He had already scored 2379 runs in ODI cricket and had become a key member of the squad. He started his Test career with a bang as he struck 120.

However, he’s played just 18 Test matches as he was quite inconsistent and was constantly found out against pace and swing. Despite his struggles in the longest format, Raina remained an integral member of India’s limited-overs set-ups. His form has dipped over the last few years and it has resulted in him being ousted from the team.

#1 Rohit Sharma – 108 ODIs

Rohit Sharma’s story of his Test debut is one he will never forget. In February 2010, he was supposed to make his Test debut in Nagpur against South Africa after VVS Laxman failed to recover from an injury. However, the Mumbai batsman injured himself while playing football on the day of the game.

He then had to wait for three and a half years more before he got another crack at Test cricket. In the meantime, he had played 108 ODIs and scored 3049 runs. About 6 months prior to his Test debut against West Indies in November 2013, he established himself as India’s first-choice limited-overs opener.

The wait for a Test cap couldn’t have come sweeter for Rohit Sharma as he struck a superb 177 on debut demolishing the Windies. He scored another ton in the very next game and it seemed like Rohit Sharma, the Test batsman has arrived.

However, he hasn’t lived up to the hype and hasn’t found the same consistency. Hence, he’s featured in just 25 Tests and every time a Test team is picked, his name is one of the few that garners a lot of attention (irrespective of his selection or non-selection).