Test cricket, the oldest format of the game, is the toughest of them all. It tests the skills and the mental strength of the players over the course of 5 days and only the best survive. It’s the dream of every cricketer to represent the national side in the longest format of the game. Over the years, the players who did well in Test cricket are the ones who are remembered as the absolute legends of the game.
But the whites can have a huge impact on the players. As a player gets older, Test cricket can be mentally tiring and it demands one to be physically very fit. For a player in the 30s, it gets difficult with each passing year and he has to take a decision some day to remain involved in the game. There have been a few players who left the format in between and focussed on the ODIs and T20Is.
Here are 5 such players who hung up the boots from Test cricket to prolong the limited overs careers
#1 MS Dhoni
The former Indian captain represented the side in 90 Tests and led them to the pole position in the ICC Test rankings. He captained the side in 60 Tests in which India emerged victorious on 27 occasions making him the most successful captain for the country in Test cricket. But his own form, as well as the record of the team, began to diminish during 2014/15 when India played mostly overseas and struggled to win.
During India’s tour to Australia in 2015/16 when the two sides played 4 Tests. Dhoni decided to call it a day in Test cricket after the completion of the 3rd game and handed over the reigns to Virat Kohli. Later on, he left the captaincy in ODI and T20 formats as well making Kohli the skipper across all formats. The wicketkeeper is still a prominent member of both the limited overs squad of India.
