There are some players you simply grow accustomed to seeing ply their trade against the red ball, their skills appearing to align just a bit more with the rhythm and beat of Test cricket.

To celebrate them, here’s our very own XI of Test specialists, men who have all been part of their sides’ recent long-form set-ups, enjoyed success in the five-day game – but played less than 30 white-ball internationals (Sorry, BJ Watling).

Dean Elgar

This batting line-up is dominated by well-organised openers, their defences geared towards blunting the threat of the red ball’s movement. At the top of the tree has to be Elgar, who has eight ODI caps but little to shout about in the format. Nonetheless, he has been a reassuring presence in South Africa’s Test line-up since the retirement of Graeme Smith in 2014, with only David Warner (18) having hit more centuries as a Test opener since Elgar (11) took up the gig.

Kraigg Brathwaite

He’s been around for yonks, making his Test debut as an 18-year-old in 2011, with no West Indian having made more appearances or runs in the format since. From his 129 against New Zealand at the Port of Spain to 229 runs in the match at Headingley in 2017, Brathwaite has a number of match-winning contributions to his name, even if his returns have been lean over the last couple of years. He does have 10 ODI caps, attained in 2016 and 2017, but an average of 28 and strike rate of 58 point to a man best suited for a waiting game.

Shan Masood

Here’s an intriguing one. Masood has enjoyed a strong couple of years in the Test game, the culmination being a highly impressive 156 on the recent tour of England. But it’s his List A average that bursts off the page: 54.24 from 90 innings to go alongside 12 hundreds. So far, however, Masood has been granted just five ODI appearances, all coming against Australia ahead of last year’s 50-over World Cup.

Jeet Raval

While now off New Zealand’s contracts list after a major loss of form in 2019, Raval ensconced himself in the Black Caps’ batting unit for three years after an excellent start to his Test career, hitting six half-centuries in his first 15 innings. Any comeback will most likely be where he’s succeeded before; Raval has no international white-ball appearances to his name.

Cheteshwar Pujara

An Indian star who hasn’t played an IPL match since 2014, Pujara’s defence and powers of concentration have helped him to 18 Test hundreds in an international career which turned a decade old this week. What many may not know is Pujara has both a List-A average of 54.20 and a T20 ton, his 61-ball effort coming in February last year in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Still, with India’s obscenely healthy white-ball batting stocks, it seems almost certain that Pujara will not add to his five ODI caps, the average sitting at a rather unrepresentative 10.20.

Wriddhiman Saha

He may not be a household name, but Saha has been India’s most regular presence behind the stumps since the retirement of MS Dhoni, even if Rishabh Pant retook the gloves against New Zealand earlier this year. Three tons and five fifties have come from his 37 Test appearances, but his last ODI, in 2014, came before his red-ball international work really got going, with nine caps in 50-over cricket returning an average of 14.

Shane Dowrich

Saha can fight over the gloves with Dowrich, with just the one ODI appearance a side note to a more impressive Test career that has included hundreds in wins over Sri Lanka and England.

Keshav Maharaj

The wily left-arm spinner is just 30 Tests into his career but already South Africa’s third-most prolific spinner in Test cricket. Still, Maharaj has barely had a look-in in the white-ball set-up, with seven ODI appearances spread across three years. He did, however, feature in the Proteas’ last 50-over assignment, a 3-0 win over Australia, so he could still translate his red-ball success to the white.

Neil Wagner

With his knuckleball bringing him success in Test cricket, it seems a tad bit odd that Wagner has never played a white-ball match for New Zealand. You’d expect the short-ball phenom to deliver the goods as he’s done for quite some time at Test level, where he is currently ranked third in the world.

Yasir Shah

While a mightily successful leggie in Test cricket – no-one has got to 200 wickets quicker – Yasir has constantly been in and out of Pakistan’s limited-overs set-up, a haul of 6-26 against Zimbabwe in 2015 one of few highlights in coloured clothing.

Mohammad Abbas

Abbas’ metronomic accuracy has made him an exceptional force in Test cricket, seeing him rise to as high as No.3 in the Test bowling rankings back in November 2018. Pakistan gave him a go against Australia last year but he landed just the one wicket across three matches.