4 Indian ODI specialists who failed in Tests 

Whenever a new player does well in any one format of cricket, there are always questions raised whether they will be able to perform the same in the other formats. While there are players who have succeeded in doing so, there are also players who have failed to do so.

It is quite understandable for a Test specialist to not perform well in ODIs, but to the surprise of many, even ODI specialists haven't had the best of times in Tests. A significant reason for this can be the mindset with which the players play different formats. While ODI cricket is all about scoring quick runs and restricting the opposition batsmen, Test cricket is about grinding it out and playing according to the situation. The ability to switch over from one form of cricket to another also plays a massive part in the making of a successful international cricketer.

In Indian cricket, there have been ample examples of players who have been regulars in the ODI setup but failed to make an impression in the longest format of the game.

We will look at five such Indian players who aced ODI cricket but failed as a Test cricketer.

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4. Ajay Jadeja

Jadeja ended up playing only 15 Tests for India

Ajay Jadeja was known for his flamboyance and energy on and off the cricket field. He was a regular feature of the Indian ODI side in the 90s and played some match-winning innings for the team. Jadeja was among the better fielders of the team and was also a good runner between the wickets. Even though he played 196 ODIs for India, he was able to play only 15 Tests in his international career.

The right-hand batsman struggled against genuine pace and swing bowling, and his weakness was often exposed in overseas conditions. Jadeja played his last Test in 2000 against South Africa.

3. Ashish Nehra

Nehra played his final Test at a young age of 25

Ashish Nehra's career was marred with injuries. The Delhi pacer was one of the most promising fast bowlers in the early 2000s. He bowled some outstanding spells for India in ODIs. However, Nehra couldn't repeat his performance in the Test arena. His Test record is far from impressive. In 17 Tests, he has taken just 44 wickets with an average of 42.40.

Nehra did try to make a comeback to the Test side, but due to a series of injuries and indifferent form, he wasn't picked in the team. With other young pacers rising to the ranks, Nehra did not get a chance to play Tests again and played his last Test in 2004 at a young age of 25.

2. Suresh Raina

Raina peppered with a lot of short balls by the opposition

Suresh Raina made his debut in 2005 at a young age of 18. Raina is known for his agility on the field and his ability to score quick runs in the middle overs. After almost five years of making his ODI debut for India, Raina was handed over a Test cap in 2010 against Sri Lanka. Raina smashed a brilliant debut hundred and looked good to seal a spot in the Test side. But unfortunately, Raina's inability to play swing bowling was on show on India's tour of England. He failed terribly against the moving ball and found it challenging to handle the short stuff from the English bowlers.

Raina earned a surprise comeback on the tour of Australia in 2014-15, but couldn't perform and was finally dropped from the Test side.

1. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj couldn't find his feet in Test cricket

Yuvraj Singh is perhaps one of the greatest limited-overs cricketers India has ever produced. He has played some spectacular innings for Team India and has played a crucial role in India's rise in ODI cricket. However, one thing that Yuvraj would like to change in his career will be his Test record. Yuvraj has had an ordinary Test career. The southpaw was given numerous chances at the Test level but couldn't grab the opportunity. In 10 years, he could play only 40 Tests.

Yuvraj might consider himself unlucky that he played in an era where a place in the middle-order was challenging to come by, but he was a much better player than what his Test average of 33.92 suggests.