5 Test specialists who failed to impress in the IPL

Test cricket is known to be the purest form of the game. One needs to be technically very sound in order to survive the longest format of the game. On the contrary, when it comes to the T20s, along with technique, there comes innovation. The T20 leagues all across the globe have popularized the shortest format of the game. The pioneer of such leagues was the IPL. Ever since its inception almost a decade ago, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has become a top tournament that the players wish to be part of. While some players find it easy to make the switch across formats, there are few who get stuck with their conventional style of play. The IPL has seen a plethora of big names sizzle on the stage. However, there have been a few players who have failed to live up to the mark in the tournament despite of the big stature they have come in with. These players have been stalwarts of the game and have rightly been named the Test specialists. But when it came to the popular T20 league, they failed to get the same aura as they did in Test matches. Here are 5 Test specialists who failed to impress in the IPL: 1. VVS Laxman – Deccan Chargers, Kochi Tuskers Kerala (Photo Source: Getty Images) VVS Laxman needs no introduction. One of the finest batsmen to have ever played the game of cricket, Laxman will always be remembered for the numerous wins that he has sculpted for team India in Test cricket. His iconic 281 in the Kolkata Test against Australia in 2000-01 series remains afresh in the minds of cricket fans. Add the Mohali Test of 2008 to the list where he batted with the tail to see India win against Australia. The list never ends. In the 134 Test appearances that he made for team India, he has 8781 runs to his name with an average of 45.97 and 17 centuries. He was the icon player for Hyderabad franchise, Deccan Chargers, in the inaugural edition of the IPL. His team finished last in the points table and performances of Laxman were far from being impressive. He was soon benched from the side. A couple of seasons later, he turned up for Kochi Tuskers Kerala. He did not impress their either. His IPL numbers are meek and that explains his struggle in the format. In the 20 matches that he played for the two sides, he could score just 282 runs at an average of just 14.84. His strike rate was as low as 105.62, a number that does not boast to be a T20 strike rate. 2. Simon Katich – Kings XI Punjab Simon Katich. (Photo Source: Twitter) Former Australian cricketer Simon Katich was a consistent Test player for the national side. Katich was known for playing marathon knocks and for his ability to stay at the crease for long durations. In the 56 Tests that he played in his career, he averaged 45.03 for his total tally o 4188 runs. The 10 Test tons that he scored with a best score of 157 is a testimony of how solid a player he was for the Australian middle order. However, when it came to the IPL, he had a very quiet outing. He was picked up by the Kings XI Punjab in the very first edition of the tournament. He played for the Kings in the first two seasons before missing out on the editions that followed. During his two season stint, he played 11 matches as he played in the middle-order for Kings XI Punjab. He could score just 241 runs at a low average of 24.1. Later in 2015, he joined the Kolkata Knight Riders roster in the capacity of an assistant coach. 3. Aakash Chopra – Kolkata Knight Riders Aakash Chopra. (Photo Source: Twitter) Aakash Chopra is a renowned long format batsman from India. The former Indian cricketer did not get the fair share of matches that his talent demanded. Having made his Test debut way back in 2003, Aakash was known for his solid technique. His numbers do not justify the talent the he has. Albeit he played only 10 Tests for India, he was known as a player of long innings in the First Class format. Aakash has played 162 FC matches and aggregates 10839 runs with 29 centuries and a top score of unbeaten 301. He was in the side for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural edition of the IPL. He played 7 matches in the season and got his opportunity to bat on 6 occasions. However, all that he could manage was a cumulative of just 53 runs in those 6 innings with an average of just 8.83. Certainly, his approach of batting was not preferred by the IPL franchises post the second edition. The 2009 edition of the tournament was his final IPL stint. 4. Ishant Sharma – Kolkata Knight Riders, Deccan Chargers, Rising Pune Supergiants, Sunrisers Hyderabad (Photo Source: BCCI) The lanky 6’4″ tall pacer from India, Ishant Sharma, largely failed to impress in the Indian Premier League. Currently, he is among the top preferred bowlers for the Indian side in the longest format of the game. His ability to bowl equally well with both new and the old ball speaks volumes about his talent. When he had made it to the international arena, he had tormented the Aussies and had made Ricky Ponting his bunny during the season. His height was something that was commended by many pundits. However, he failed to convert his playing abilities in the shortest format of the game. Over the first 9 editions of the tournament, he played for 4 franchises. In the 2017 IPL auctions, he went unsold as the franchises felt he was a bowler of the longer formats. He had started off playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders and his last season was for the Rising Pune Supergiants. In the 70 IPL matches that he played, he could pick just 58 wickets and averaged over 35 with the ball. His economy was of over 8 which is certainly unacceptable. His only heroic moment was against Kochi Tuskers Kerala when he bagged 5/12. On the contrary, he has staggering numbers in Tests. In 76 Tests, he has 217 wickets to his name as on March 14. 5. Cheteshwar Pujara – Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab Cheteshwar Pujara. (Photo Source: BCCI) There is no denial of the fact that Cheteshwar Pujara is arguably the best Test batsman of India. Despite his consistent numbers in Test cricket, Pujara never got the respect he deserved in the IPL. He went unsold at two consecutive auctions in 2016 and 2017 which brings the disparity between technically sound batsman and the hard hitters of the game. His IPL debut came in the 2010 season for the Kolkata Knight Riders for whom he scored 10 runs on debut. He played a few games for KKR before moving to the RCB franchise. He got very few games under his belt for RCB and was then picked up by the Kings XI Punjab in 2014 edition. KXIP promoted him to the opener slot hoping that he would extract the most in the powerplay and then manage to keep wickets intact as well. In the 30 IPL matches that he played in, he scored 390 runs with an average as low as 20.53. Now, compare that to his stunning numbers in Test cricket where he averages close to 50 and is known as the mainstay of the Indian batting line up. Pujara has time and again expressed his desire to play in the shortest format of the game.

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5 Test specialists who failed to impress in the IPL

2. Simon Katich – Kings XI Punjab

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