Top 5 Test batsmen who surprised everyone in T20s

Cricket, as a sport, has evolved from time to time. Various rules have changed over the years but the biggest revolution in cricket till date has been the rise of T20 format. It has added a completely new dimension to the game.

The T20 format is in complete contrast to Test matches. Therefore, the set of skills required are different altogether and hence, the format has its own specialists. The batsmen in T20s are required be aggressive from the outset.

In such an era where big hitting is the most important trait in a T20 batsman, there have been a few who have broken all the taboos. Here is a list of few classical Test batsman who took the world by surprise in T20s.

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#5 Kane Williamson

Arguably New Zealand's best batsman, Williamson has a textbook perfect technique. He came through the ranks pretty quickly on the back of his stellar performances. The right-handed batsman is well equipped to handle spin as well as fast bowling of the highest standard.

His batting expertise is unquestionable. He has the temperament to bat for long hours and tire the opposition out. However, it is his smooth transition into a T20 batsman that has impressed the most.

Astonishingly, he holds a strike rate of 130 in IPL and 120 in international T20s. He has played some great innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL as well. Surely, he is a player of all formats.

#4 Mike Hussey

Hussey scored a belligerent 24 ball 60 in World T20 against Pakistan

Australia, in the 2000s, was a team made of legends. There were hardly any places up for grabs. As such, even a player like Mike Hussey had to wait till the late-20s to get a chance. When the opportunity came, the West-Australian grabbed it with both hands.

Soon, he became the fulcrum of Aussie batting. He excelled in Test cricket as well as ODI cricket. He scored a plethora of runs in both the formats with an average of 51 in Tests and 48 in ODIs. All this led to him being nicknamed 'Mr. Cricket'.

Still, Hussey was never considered a T20 material. To everyone's surprise, though, he kept piling up the runs in T20 cricket as well. He was an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise, that won the 2010 and 2011 edition of the IPL.

Hussey's most famous inning in T20s came against Pakistan. Coming in to bat in a precarious situation, he scored a 24 ball 60 in 2010 T20 World Cup semi-final. This innings silenced his critics who doubted his ability as a T20 batsman.

#3 Mahela Jayawardene

Jayawardene excelled as an opener in T20 cricket

Sri Lanka Cricket has seen many legends. The island nation is known to produce the best in the business and Mahela Jayawardene was one such batsman whose elegance and class remains unmatched.

Jayawardene and Sangakkara formed the strongest of middle orders for Sri Lanka in the early 2000s. Together, the two batsmen stitched numerous partnerships.

Jayawardene had an appetite to score big hundreds in Test matches and the right-handed batsman's late-cut was a treat to watch. He excelled beautifully in T20 cricket as well.

In a format full of aggressive slogging, the former KXIP captain's textbook approach remained very influential. He was a part of the Sri Lanka team that won the 2014 T20 World Cup.

Interestingly, Jayawardene finished as the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in T20 cricket.

#2 Jacques Kallis

Kallis proved his critics wrong time and again

Perhaps the best all-rounder the world has ever seen, Kallis's exclusive batting was a treat to watch. He scored plenty of runs as well as took lots of wickets for South Africa. Batting at no. 3 in Tests, he scored 13289 runs at an average of 55.37.

Also, with 45 Test centuries to his name, he is only behind Sachin Tendulkar in all-time list of Test centuries scored. Such was his command over batting that he could make into the team as a pure batsman.

However, he ultimately proved his credentials as a T20 batsman in the IPL.

Bought by KKR in the fourth season, he opened for the franchise and played several crucial innings in their title triumph. Overall, he scored 2427 runs in 98 matches in IPL, with a strike-rate of 109.23.

#1 Hashim Amla

Amla hit two centuries for KXIP in IPL 2017

The right-handed batsman from South Africa is a pure artist with the bat. He broke into the Test side on the back of some heavy run-scoring in domestic cricket.

In one day cricket, the right-hander holds multiple records. He is the fastest player to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 runs in ODI cricket. However, in a team with the likes of AB de Villiers, his batting almost goes unnoticed.

Earlier, Amla was not seen as a T20 player due to the lack of power-hitting in his batting. However, he has been proving the cricket pundits wrong time and again with his performances. Last year, he scored 420 runs for Kings XI Punjab in IPL in 10 innings at a staggering strike-rate of 145.