5 batsmen who have a higher T20I average than Test average

As a format, T20Is are notoriously difficult to be consistent. There is rarely any time to get settled and you always need to be ready to score quick runs even if that ends in your dismissal. That is the exact opposite of what is the case with Tests where you need to take care of your wicket and be ready to stay for as long as your team needs you.

So it is certainly surprising when certain batsmen have better T20I averages than their Test average. We are not just talking about those who just played a few games, but ones that played a considerable amount and yet had a better T20I batting average. For some, it is just down to their superior form in one format, for others it is down to their failure in one.

Whatever the case, here are 5 batsmen who have a higher T20I average than Test average:

Suresh Raina

No Indian player has scored runs in T20s than Suresh Raina, who is one of the best T20 batsmen the country has produced. So it is not especially surprising that his T20I average is better than his Test average. While he was a consistent member of the Indian limited-overs side, his Test career can only be described as stop-start.

Since his T20I debut in 2006, the 30-year-old has played 65 T20Is in which he has scored over 1,300 runs at an average of almost 30. One of the most consistent T20 batsmen in the world, Raina has carved a niche for himself in the format. He also became the first Indian batsman to score a century across all formats when he scored his Test century.

His form in whites, however, is far from impressive. A Test career that began five years after his ODI debut, Raina played just 18 Tests, the last of which came in 2015. In those games, he scored 768 runs at an average of just 26.48 with a solitary century to his name. Despite his impressive track record in the shorter formats, he wasn't quite able to carry that over to the Test arena even though he averaged over 44 in first-class cricket.

Andrew Symonds

Symonds

If there ever was a player that was made for T20 cricket that was Andrew Symonds. Although his tryst with T20Is was brief, his numbers merely highlight the impact he could have had. So good was his impact that his numbers in T20Is are actually better than Tests, which aren't too shabby at all.

The big-hitting all-rounder from Australia was not only one of the finest hitters of the ball but was also an exceptional fielder and more than handy bowler. In his 14 T20Is, he scored at an average of 48.14 and strike rate of almost 170. In 26 Tests, he averaged 40.61 with two centuries to his name. As a middle-order batsman, his record in both formats is exceptional.

But his T20I numbers merely highlight just how good he could have been had he made his debut a little later.

Martin Guptill

Guptill

There is little doubt that Martin Guptill is one of the most destructive openers in limited-overs cricket right now. But the right-hander has struggled to translate his incredible consistency in ODIs and T20Is to Tests. So it is no surprise to see that his T20I average is better than his Test average.

After 61 T20Is, Guptill has scored over 1,800 runs at an average of nearly 35 with a century and 10 fifties to his name. Currently, in third place on the list of most T20I runs, he is closing in on the all-time record for most T20I runs that is currently held by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. However, despite his incredible numbers in both ODIs and T20Is, his Test career is far from impressive.

Despite averaging under 30 as an opener, Guptill still played 47 Tests. In that period, he scored just over 2,500 including just three centuries. For someone so prolific in colored clothing, the 30-year-old simply couldn't find his feet in whites. The biggest surprise is the fact that for someone who strikes at nearly 90 in ODIs and over 130 in T20Is, Guptill's strike rate is just 46.

JP Duminy

Duminy

Another player, much like Guptill, who has struggled to translate his success in ODIs and T20Is to Tests is South African all-rounder JP Duminy. An integral part of South Africa's limited-overs side, Duminy has often been a liability in the Test side, where he has struggled to justify his selection as a batsman or as an all-rounder.

In the shortest format of the game, Duminy has proven himself time and again as the ideal all-rounder, capable of scoring quick runs with the bat while also being flexible with respect to his batting position and also chipping in with a few wickets while not conceding too many runs. That is even before mentioning his exceptional ground fielding.

In Tests, however, he has struggled to nail his place in the side despite being given considerable chances. Despite playing 46 Test, Duminy just averages 32.85 with the bat. However, his T20I average, his average is almost 40 in 71 matches.

Virat Kohli

Kohli

While the presence of many batsmen on this list are an indicator of their poor record in Tests as compared to T20Is, Virat Kohli's story is a little different. Until a few months, he was the only player to have an average of over 50 across all formats. But while his Test average has dropped to a smidge under 50, his T20I average is still over 50, which is why he features on this list.

Very few batsmen have an average of over 40 in T20Is but the fact that Kohli averages nearly 53 after playing 49 T20Is is a testament to his consistency in the format. Nearly 2,000 runs in the format at an average of 52.96 despite not scoring a century shows just how remarkable his numbers are.

His Test numbers aren't too shabby either. In 60 Tests, he has scored over 4,500 runs at an average of 49.55. Those are outstanding numbers but the fact that they are lower than his T20I numbers highlight his incredible success in the shortest format of the game.