4 visiting left-arm spinners who have taken 7 or more wickets in an innings in a Test in India ft. Mitchell Santner

Left-arm spinners have often played vital roles in cricket, particularly in Test cricket, especially in the subcontinent where conditions traditionally favor spinners. Their ability to extract turn and create opportunities to dismiss batters make them valuable assets to their teams.

In India, visiting left-arm spinners have been successful at times in the longest format, taking centre stage with their incredible performances. There have been instances where these bowlers have left their mark on Indian soil by achieving the remarkable feat of picking up seven or more wickets in a single innings.

In the ongoing second Test against India in Pune, New Zealand's Mitchell Santner added his name to this elite list of cricketers. He put the Indian batters under immense pressure, putting his side in a commanding position in the game.

That said, let us take a look at four such left-arm spinners who have accomplished this impressive feat in India.

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4 visiting left-arm spinners who have taken 7 or more wickets in an innings in a Test in India

#4 Tom Hartley (7/62 in Hyderabad, 2024)

Tom Hartley, an emerging talent for England, made headlines earlier this year with a stellar debut against India in Hyderabad. England scripted a remarkable win in that match as Tom Hartley bagged seven wickets, giving away 62 runs, bowling 26.2 overs.

India were chasing 231 runs for a win on Day 4 of the Hyderabad Test. His brilliant bowling held the hosts back as they were bowled out for 202 runs, eventually losing the game.

With this match-winning performance, Hartley also recorded the best figures for an English spinner on Test debut.

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#3 Mitchell Santner (7/53 in Pune, 2024)

Mitchell Santner put up a sensational display in the ongoing second Test against India at Pune. The Kiwi left-arm spinner unleashed a devasting spell as he ran through India's batting order.

After scoring 259 runs in the first innings, New Zealand gained the upper hand by bundling India out for just 156 runs, thanks to a brilliant spell of 7/53 from Santner. During the first session of play on Day 2, Santner picked up four wickets.

As India resumed their innings, he did not let them come into the game, further grabbing three wickets in the second session, helping the Kiwis gain a healthy first-innings lead. In his 19.3 overs, he accounted for some big wickets like Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan among others.

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#2 Hedley Verity (7/49 in Chennai, 1934)

Hedley Verity delivered a remarkable spell during the 1934 Test in Chennai. The English spinner dismantled the Indian batting lineup, claiming seven wickets for just 49 runs from 23.5 overs in India's first innings.

His dominant display of spin bowling troubled the batters as the hosts were cleaned up for just 145 runs in their first innings. England put up an impressive total of 335 in the first innings.

In the final innings, Verity picked up four more wickets as the visitors eventually won the game comfortably by a huge margin of 202 runs.

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#1 Ajaz Patel (10/119 in Mumbai, 2021)

Another Kiwi spinner, Ajaz Patel, features on this list. Patel's extraordinary performance during the Wankhede Test in December 2021 remains one of the most memorable moments of his career.

In India's first innings, he picked up all 10 wickets, giving away 119 runs. It was a scintillating effort as he picked up all 10 wickets by himself and also recorded the third-best bowling figures in an innings in a Test match.

Despite his heroics, New Zealand lost the game by a massive margin of 372 runs. Nonetheless, the left-arm spinner delivered a stunning spell in an otherwise disappointing game for the visitors.