5 Indian spinners who could have become Test legends if they had played for other countries

From the country's original troika of Vinoo Mankad, Subhash Gupte and Ghulam Ahmed, India's spin baton was passed to the fabled quartet comprising of Bishan Singh Bedi, EAS Prasanna, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. After a brief lull in the 80s, the likes of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh formed a menacing pairing for their nation. India's rich spin legacy continues to live in the form of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Even as the spotlight shone on these revered icons, countless spinners toiling long and hard in the domestic circuit were denied entry into the Indian team. While a few of those were able to receive sporadic opportunities as a result of injuries to the leading stars, there have been plenty of unheralded spinners who went largely unnoticed due to the immense competition for spots in India's playing eleven.

In reverse chronological order according to their first-class debuts, here are five Indian spinners who could have become Test legends if they had played for other countries. Needless to say, this list is entirely hypothetical in nature and has been formulated based on the potential as well as first-class records of these players.

While three of these spinners played Test cricket for India, the other two could not break into the national team owing to the presence of established names.

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#5 Murali Kartik

Murali Kartik had County stints with as many as three different teams

Armed with an easily repeatable action, Murali Kartik had the ability to procure wickets through subtle variations in pace as well as length. However, the luminous presence of Kumble and Harbhajan meant that the left-armer had to spend the vast majority of his career as their understudy.

Despite having the opportunity to make a big name for himself during his very first Test match against a strong South African side, Kartik could manage only a solitary wicket in the second innings on a rapidly deteriorating surface at the Wankhede Stadium.

Whenever the conditions called for a third spinner, Kartik played just seven more Test matches before his international career at the highest level of the game came to a grinding halt. Despite being pushed into the wilderness from a team seeking success across all conditions, he continued to shine in the County circuit.

Stints with various top-tier clubs such as Lancashire, Somerset and Surrey fetched him enormous respect among England cricket circles. Perhaps, the left-arm spinner could have enjoyed a more longer Test career if he had played for England.

Test career (2000 - 2004)

24 wickets from 8 matches at an average of 34.16 and strike-rate of 80.5

First-class career (1996/97 - 2014)

644 wickets from 203 matches at an average of 26.70 and strike-rate of 66.0 with 36 five-wicket hauls and 5 ten-wicket hauls

#4 Sunil Joshi

Sunil Joshi could entangle opposition batsmen with his relentless accuracy

In line with his state's tradition of producing high-quality spinners, Sunil Joshi's emergence during the mid 90s raised the possibility of an all-Karnataka bowling attack for India. The foursome indeed played together in six Tests.

While the likes of Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and to a lesser extent Venkatesh Prasad had significant careers, Joshi could manage only 15 appearances at the highest level of the game. 41 wickets from those matches do not give a suitable glimpse into his admirable prowess.

He was an accurate spinner who could force batsmen to commit mistakes through sheer persistence. Aside from his steadiness with the ball, Joshi was also a handy batsman lower down the order.

With Kumble taking up one spin slot for himself, the rise of Harbhajan Singh effectively ended the left-armer's career. If only he had played for a team like New Zealand, then the utility cricketer might have had the opportunity to feature in more international matches.

By the time a certain Daniel Vettori came through the Kiwi ranks in 1997, Joshi had carved a niche for himself in the Indian domestic circuit.

Test career (1996 - 2000)

41 wickets from 15 matches at an average of 35.85 and strike-rate of 84.1 with 1 five-wicket haul

First-class career (1992/93 - 2011)

615 wickets from 160 matches at an average of 25.12 and strike-rate of 62.1 with 31 five-wicket hauls and 5 ten-wicket hauls

#3 Padmakar Shivalkar

Padmakar Shivalkar remains one of Mumbai's greatest cricketers of all-time

Even as the revered spin quartet of Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar and Venkataraghavan were evoking admiration and awe all over the globe, there were quite a few talented spinners who did not have the fortune of earning even a solitary Test cap for India. Padmakar Shivalkar was one among the unlucky crew. Despite boasting of an incredible first-class record on the truer bounce pitches of Mumbai, the left-armer spent his entire career in the domestic circuit without getting to play for his country.

Extra Cover: 5 things you must know about one of India's unluckiest cricketers - Padmakar Shivalkar

A chance encounter with the iconic Vinoo Mankad convinced Shivalkar from being an occasional cricketer to a full-time professional. Despite not having the experience of operating with the leather ball, he immediately made an impression in the domestic arena. When he eventually called it quits, the then 48-year old southpaw had created history by becoming Mumbai's most successful spinner of all-time. Although he had the scant consolation of finding a mention in Sunil Gavaskar's book of Idols, Shivalkar could be forgiven for thinking that he might have had a successful international career with the West Indies of the mid to late 1960s who were then struggling to cope with the transition in their pace department.

First-class career (1961/62 - 1987/88)

589 wickets from 124 matches at an average of 19.69 and strike-rate of 57.9 with 42 five-wicket hauls and 13 ten-wicket hauls

#2 Rajinder Goel

Just like Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel was also another victim of the spin quartet's tremendous success

In what could be perceived as possessing eerie similarities with Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel was another great spinner who was kept out Test cricket due to the venerated quartet's glowing presence in the Indian lineup.

Apart from the one-off unofficial Test against Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) during the 1964-65 season, he never got to represent his country.

Upon toiling hard for countless years in the domestic circuit, the left-armer managed to leave an indelible legacy among Indian cricket circles.

High praise from Bishan Singh Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar (who also included him in the book of Idols) could not make up for his disappointment of missing out on an international career which Goel could have eas had if he was playing in another country.

Then lodged in Gwalior's Central Jail, notorious dacoit Bhura Singh Yadav had sent a heartfelt letter to Goel (following his retirement) congratulating him for picking up more than 600 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.

Almost three decades later, the first-class stalwart jokingly remarked that a dacoit liked him much more than the Indian selectors of his time. Looking at the manner in which he was treated, one cannot help but agree with his views.

First-class career (1958/59 - 1984/85)

750 wickets from 157 matches at an average of 18.58 and strike-rate of 53.0 with 59 five-wicket hauls and 18 ten-wicket hauls

#1 Vaman Viswanath Kumar

Vaman Viswanath Kumar was an unplayable spinner at the peak of his powers

Making his first-class debut before the likes of Shivalkar and Goel, Vaman Viswanath Kumar was yet another victim of India's inconsistent selection policies during the 1960s. The stalwart from Tamil Nadu (Madras) amassed almost 600 wickets at a remarkable average of under 20 in a tremendous first-class career.

In spite of his exploits at the domestic level, the leg-spinner received just a couple of opportunities to play Test cricket for his country.

During 1961, VV Kumar impressed on debut against a settled Pakistani batting lineup who were quite adept against the turning ball. Later that year, he played in the Mumbai Test against England despite carrying a hampering injury. A wicket-less game consigned him permanently into the wilderness.

Once hailed as Subash Gupte's successor, the experienced spinner's international career came to an end following the arrival of the inimitable Bhagwath Chandrasekhar. In a parallel world, Kumar might have been a huge hit in the global arena if he had plied his trade for Australia in the post-Richie Benuad era.

Test career (1961)

7 wickets from 2 matches at an average of 28.85 and strike-rate of 86.4 with 1 five-wicket haul

First-class career (1955/56 - 1976/77)

599 wickets from 129 matches at an average of 19.98 and strike-rate of 50.2 with 36 five-wicket hauls and 8 ten-wicket hauls