As we know, the white-ball formats, particularly T20s and ODIs, have now become the pathway to first fame for players in today’s cricket landscape. However, there is still a sense of prestige around the Test cap, whites, red ball, and five days of competition. A number of India’s top red-ball players didn’t start their careers at Test cricket, but in total over 50 white-ball matches, before getting the chance to play Test cricket. Below are five Indian players, starting with the Hitman, who began as a white-ball player and who made a successful transition into Test cricket.
Why Some Cricketers Wait for the Whites
Cricket is not what it used to be, particularly in India. Nowadays, with the IPL and India’s limited-overs calendar, many players have been pushed rapidly into white-ball formats. But Tests? That’s still a sacred place. Selectors are typically conservative, wanting to see experience, temperament, and form across formats before opening the gates of red-ball cricket to them.
Rohit Sharma is a great example. He debuted in the ODIs in 2007 and played 144 white-ball games before making his Test debut in 2013. And what a start it was — a sublime 177 against the West Indies that announced his arrival in style. But it wasn’t until 2019, when he was promoted to being an opener, that he truly embraced the Test format. He was a key part of the top-order from then on while also captaining the side and finished with just over 4,300 Test runs.
The Multi-Format Proving Ground
While limited-overs games seem to be less serious and less technical, they do provide a good framework for potential Test players. Suryakuma Yadav has the best understanding of pushing the envelope; not only is he India’s T20I captain, but he is also one of the most explosive modern-day batters as well. Before his test debut in 2023, Yadav had appeared in 68 white-ball internationals; over those games, he scored more than 2000 runs. Even though he has yet to make his mark on the red ball format (having only played 1 Test), Yadav’s journey is an endorsement of the idea that if a player is continually successful in the white-ball space, this is justification for selectors to be able to give their test cap.
Then there’s Jasprit Bumrah — India’s pace ace and the man who turned unorthodox into unstoppable. Although to begin with, Bumrah made his name in limited-overs cricket with his toe-crushing yorkers, Bumrah played 63 white-ball matches and took 97 wickets before he played his first test match in 2018. Since then, he has established himself as a red-ball beast and taken 210 wickets in 46 Test matches with 14 five-wicket hauls. Bumrah is as good as anybody at putting a spell together for India when they need him the most.
Earning It the Hard Way: Patience Pays Off
Not everyone walks into Test cricket as an overnight sensation — most have to grind and wait. Virat Kohli made his India debut in 2008 but didn’t earn his Test cap until 2011, after 63 white-ball games and over 2,000 runs. The rest is history. He went on to redefine India’s Test culture with unmatched aggression and fitness, finishing with 9,230 runs, 30 centuries, and a captaincy reign that kept India at No. 1 for five straight seasons.
Ravindra Jadeja also took the long route. Initially called a limited-overs specialist, Sachin already played 70 white-ball matches before making his Test debut in 2012. Since then, he has been one of India’s best red-ball players, not only in terms of his 324 wickets but also in terms of his over 3,000 runs, as he is the ultimate all-rounder, even now in 2025, where he is seen playing in an ongoing Test series against England.
So, who will be the next Indian white-ball hero, and what will it take for them to transition into the whites? Maybe Rinku Singh, or Sanju Samson? Tell us what you think in the comments, as the future of Test cricket for India may be warming up in colored kits today!
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