4 Indians who did not do great in white-ball cricket but could have done well in Tests if they had got a chance
With the introduction of the T20 format, the team management tries to create a distinction between each format with respect to the players who can take part in it. Therefore, if a player makes a debut in one format, he or she may not get a chance in the other two formats. In this article, we take a look at four Indians who failed to do well in white-ball cricket but could have done well in Tests if they had got a chance.
Ranji Trophy is a good platform for cricketers to show their skills. However, we have seen many times that even if a player does well in this tournament, a place in Team India is not guaranteed. That said, a player might have got a chance in the other formats but could have failed to do well.
1) Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey is one of the Indians who failed to do well in white-ball cricket but could have done well in Tests if they had got a chance. In more than 100 FC games, Manish has scored above 7000 runs at an average above 50 and a strike rate close to 67. On the other hand, he has not utilized all his chances well in the ODI and T20I formats. However, had he been given a chance in Tests, he could have made a mark, especially looking at his numbers in the Ranji Trophy.
2) Ashok Dinda
Ashok Dinda has more than 400 wickets in FC Cricket. This is a brilliant number and despite this, he did not get a chance with Team India. At his peak, Dinda had all that was needed for a top Indian pacer. He did get chances in the shorter formats but was really expensive and hence, could not last long in the team.
3) Vijay Shankar
Vijay Shankar is also one of the Indians who failed to do well in white-ball cricket but could have done well in Tests if they had got a chance. Vijay Shankar's current form is good in the red-ball format. He anyways has an average above 40 in close to 60 matches. Moreover, he also adds balance to the XI with his medium-pace bowling. India has always needed such an option in the Test squad and Vijay Shankar might have been a good option to try. That said, this option is still open to happen.
4) Robin Uthappa
In 140 games, Uthappa scored around 9500 runs at an average above 40. For a player who opened the batting, this is an excellent number. In fact, it was based on his Ranji form that the player got his debut in the white-ball format. Interestingly, he also kept wickets in a few games. Hence, this is an option India could have considered.