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

#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