Earlier, irrespective of the situation, cricketers used to take a measured approach in Tests. However, with the advent of T20 cricket, the fiv-day format is also getting impacted. In recent months, we have seen T20 specialists like Jonny Bairstow and Rishabh Pant do well in Tests. Glenn Maxwell was recently selected for the Australian Test squad. Hence, it won’t be a surprise if we witness more of such occurences in future. In this article, we take a look at four T20 specialists who might soon make their Test debut.
It is important for teams to play aggressive cricket and go for the kill in Tests. The World Test Championship standings of a team relies on the points accumulated and teams will have to get as much as possible. Hence, there is a difference between a draw and a win. Therefore, we see more teams opting for a positive approach in Tests.
1) Liam Livingstone (England)
Liam Livingstone is one of the T20 specialists who might soon make their Test debut. The likes of Kevin Pietersen have already advocated for his inclusion in the Test squad. Brendon McCullum is already trying to get other T20 stars such as Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid back into the Test setup. Considering Livingstone is in good form and has a decent experience in red-ball cricket, Bazz could draft that hard-hitting cricketer into the Test squad.
2) Suryakumar Yadav (India)
Suryakumar Yadav was part of Team India when the country toured England in 2021. Hence, it appears that he is in the plans for Tests, as well. One of the most important batters in T20I cricket for India, SKY has experience of playing 77 FC games. Hence, he will be useful in the squad. Moreover, his approach and the range of shots he has got could help India make some quick runs when needed.
3) Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)
Pooran is the captain of the West Indian Team in the shorter formats. He is one of the best batters in the squad. Technically, as well, Pooran stands out. Even the player himself has said that Test cricket is firmly in his plans. Hence, it would not be a surprise to see him don a white shirt in the coming years.
4) Haris Rauf (Pakistan)
Haris Rauf is also one of the T20 specialists who might soon make their Test debut. He was supposed to be part of the home series against Australia a few months ago. Due to an injury, that did not happen. Now, he is selected for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Rauf has played 35 T20I encounters so far. He is used as Pakistan’s weapon in the death overs. It now needs to be seen how he would perform in Tests.
