5 overseas spinners who could have become legends if they had played for India

With rapidly deteriorating pitches as well as numerous stalwarts to look up to, India is the best country for an aspiring spinner to flourish. For slow bowlers hailing from places such as England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe, trips to this part of the world are often accompanied by lofty ambitions.

Factoring in scoreboard pressure as a result of the Asian giants' usually reliable batting lineup, spinners from outside the subcontinent dream of experiencing a taste of Indian conditions.

In no particular order, let us take a close look at five underrated spinners who could have become legendary cricketers if they had played for India.

Owing to the similarity in the nature of pitches across the Indian subcontinent, spinners from other Asian countries have not been considered for this feature.

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#5 Stuart MacGill (Australia)

If it were not for the fact that his career span unfortunately overlapped with that of the iconic Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill could have played so much more international cricket than his meagre 47 appearances for Australia across both Tests and ODIs.

The leg-spinner generated astonishing turns on even the flattest of pitches. Upon receiving the exalted Baggy Green in 1998, he mostly filled the role of second spinner until Warne's one-year ban in 2003 and the selectors' policy of rotation gave him further chances.

While he could extract remarkable drift and loop, MacGill did not possess the tactical nous of Warne or the relentless control of Anil Kumble. Hence, he could be taken apart on certain occasions by enterprising batsmen.

The Australian might have enjoyed a considerably longer career if he had operated predominantly on subcontinental tracks.

Taking into account his enchanting style of bowling, MacGill could have been a fascinating addition to an already strong Indian spin attack.

Statistics

Tests - 208 wickets from 44 matches at an average of 29.02 and strike-rate of 54.0; 12 five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket hauls

#4 Paul Strang (Zimbabwe)

Strang's easily repeatable action helped him generate extravagant turn on even non-responsive surfaces

In sharp contrast to the current lineup, Zimbabwe was a strong team during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Filled with numerous flamboyant stars who became household names, the team pulled off numerous victories against the traditional powerhouses of the game.

With his alluring leg-spin and affable demeanour, Paul Strang was one of those highly entertaining players who put Zimbabwe on the cricket map.

Extra Cover: The Zimbabwe team that reached the Super Six of the 1999 World Cup - Where are they now?

A conventional action helped Paul Strang generate massive turn on a wide variety of pitches. Enormous flight and accompanying dip made him a consistent wicket-taker across both Tests and ODIs.

However, his career was restricted to just 119 appearances in the international arena. If only he had access to accomplished Indian spin coaches, Strang could have had an extended run at the highest level and consequently picked up a lot more wickets.

Statistics

Tests - 70 wickets from 24 matches at an average of 36.02 and strike-rate of 81.7; four five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul

ODIs - 96 wickets from 95 matches at an average of 33.05 and economy-rate of 4.37; two five-wicket hauls

#3 Graeme Swann (England)

Swann played a key role in propelling England to the top of the Test rankings in 2011

One of the most underrated cricketers in the modern era, Graeme Swann was instrumental to England's fortunes at the peak of his career. His steady off-spin and brilliant catching helped the team reach the pinnacle of the Test rankings during the summer of 2011.

The charismatic personality also played a crucial role in England winning their first and only ICC tournament thus far. During the 2010 World T20, he adapted brilliantly to the slow Caribbean pitches and tied as the fifth leading wicket-taker in the competition.

After picking up more than 400 international wickets across all three formats, Swann's career ended in ignominy. In what remains a shocking decision, he walked away during the middle of an ill-fated Ashes tour in the 2013-14 season.

Although he remains a great of the modern game, the off-spinner could have burgeoned his tally of wickets if only he had the opportunity to bowl predominantly on the turning tracks of India. His sound intellect as well as subtle guile made him a spectator's delight.

Statistics

Tests - 255 wickets from 60 matches at an average of 29.96 and strike-rate of 60.1; 17 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls

ODIs - 104 wickets from 79 matches at an average of 27.76 and economy-rate of 4.54; one five-wicket haul

T20Is - 51 wickets from 39 matches at an average of 16.84 and economy-rate of 6.36

#2 Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

Vettori picked up more than 700 wickets across all three formats in his illustrious career

For a side which had to grapple with the retirements of an entire generation of stalwarts, Daniel Vettori led by example and almost single-handedly converted a transitional New Zealand team into a competitive unit during the mid to late 2000s.

Aside from possessing the skills to run through batting lineups on conducive pitches, the left-arm spinner could also entangle well-set batsmen in his web by adopting an economic approach.

With conditions in New Zealand calling for a seam-centric bowling attack, Vettori often had to shoulder the spin department all by himself when Test matches drifted into the last couple of days on tracks slowly beginning to take turn.

Although he might have had to share his tally of wickets with seasoned spinners, the advantage of playing in a bowling unit like India would have meant extensive spin support at the other end.

Statistics

Tests - 362 wickets from 113 matches at an average of 34.36 and strike-rate of 79.5; 20 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls

ODIs - 305 wickets from 295 matches at an average of 31.71 and economy-rate of 4.12; two five-wicket hauls

T20Is - 38 wickets from 34 matches at an average of 19.68 and economy-rate of 5.70

#1 Lance Gibbs (West Indies)

Lance Gibbs is widely considered to be the greatest ever spinner to represent West Indies

For certain conditions, Lance Gibbs is arguably the easiest pick in a West Indies all-time XI. Although the fearsome fast bowlers could repeatedly take the pitch out of the equation with their hostile pace, turning tracks in the subcontinent open up the case for a specialist spinner. With his impressive Test record, Gibbs is an automatic choice on such surfaces ahead of the likes of Alf Valentine and Sonny Ramadhin. After all, he was the first spinner to breach the 300-wicket mark in the premiere format of the game.

Only a slightly below-par strike-rate of 87.7 prevents Gibbs from entering the debate pertaining to the best spinners in the history of Test cricket. Nevertheless, his clever variations in pace as well as a deadly arm-ball could have enabled him to strike on a quicker basis if the Guyanese had the chance to use the crumbling Indian surfaces.

Since he made his international debut as early as 1958, the off-spinner could have seamlessly helped the Indian team oversee the transition from the Vinoo Mankad-Subash Gupte generation to the era of the iconic quartet.

Statistics

Tests - 309 wickets from 79 matches at an average of 29.09 and strike-rate of 87.7; 18 five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket hauls