7 Indian batsmen who got to number 1 spot in ICC Test rankings

India has always held a rich heritage of producing some of the finest batsmen in the history of the game. From the legendary Col CK Nayudu to modern-day great Virat Kohli, the country has witnessed innumerable players script fairy tales. Not only did these batsmen stand out as all-time batting greats but also played a key role in helping the nation stamp its supremacy over the game.

While their career stats will be etched as some of the greatest numbers in the history, a handful of players also hold the privilege of a unique distinction embellishing their famed careers. These select Indian batsmen, thanks to their incredible abilities with the bat, were crowned as the world's best players by the ICC rankings over the years.

With Indian skipper Virat Kohli being the latest addition to this esteemed list, we take you down memory lane to take a look at all seven Indian batsmen who, at some point in their careers, bagged the No 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen.

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7. Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar was one India's first cricketing superstars

From being a revelation as a young batsman to emerging as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sunil Gavaskar's story is among the most celebrated ones in Indian cricket. Before hanging his boots in 1987, the man topped the list of many batting records, including those of being the first cricketer to reach the milestones of scoring 10,000 runs and 30 centuries in Test cricket.

Playing the game in an era where hostile fast bowling was a regular feature, Gavaskar stood out as a batsman who was equipped with a sound technique to score runs all over the world. The man from Mumbai was at the peak of his batting abilities during the late 70s when he was declared as the world's best batsman in Tests.

Sunny, as he's fondly called, achieved a rating of 916 points against England in 1979; a rating that is second only to Virat Kohli's newly achieved 934 points.

6. Dilip Vengsarkar

Dilip Vengsarkar was one of India's batting heroes during the late 80s

Dilip Vengsarkar remains one of the greatest cricketers ever produced by India. The man from Maharashtra had a typical flair about his batting style that aided him in scoring runs across continents.

After India's famous victory at the 1983 cricket world cup, Vengsarkar grew as a batting stalwart of the game. In fact, statistics suggest that in the period from 1983 to 1987, the middle-order batsman, with his superlative heroics, had surpassed the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Allan Border, and Clive Lloyd among others as the world's best batsman.

Vengsarkar had achieved a maximum rating of 837 points against New Zealand in 1988 and went on to become one of India's premier batsmen during his tenure.

5. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is considered to be the greatest batsman of all time

Considered by many to be the greatest batsman in the history of the sport, Sachin Tendulkar's name on the list comes as a no surprise.

An epitome of exceptional batsmanship, Tendulkar, ever since his debut in 1989, grew as a batting legend. In addition to being the highest run-scorer in both the formats of the game, the Mumbaikar holds a plethora of cricketing records to his name. Also, Tendulkar stands as the only man on the planet to have scored 100 international centuries (51 Test centuries and 49 ODI centuries).

A masterclass of gigantic proportions, Sachin Tendulkar was ranked as the No 1 Test batsman for a total of 1157 days of his career, with a maximum rating of 898 points. He last achieved the feat in January 2011 when he shared the honours jointly with South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

4. Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid was a vital cog in India's Test setup for many years

Rahul Dravid's exemplary batsmanship would go down in the history books for generations to come. In spite of being subdued by the shadows of other superstars of his era, Dravid holds a unique place in the history of the game and was a class apart from many batsmen.

A vital member in the Indian Test squad all his career, the man from Karnataka proved to be the team's saviour on many occasions, and was fittingly, tagged as "The Wall" of Indian cricket. With consistency as one of his main assets, Dravid was always among the top performers in the format. He was first honoured with the No 1 Test batsman status quite early in his career before regaining the spot at later stages.

The middle-order batsman spent quite a long period as the world's premier batsman with a career highest rating of 892 points.

3. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir was one of India's most reliable players in Test cricket

Gautam Gambhir was one of India's finest left-handed batsmen in the longer format of the game. Equipped with a technique that was capable of tackling both, pace and spin, effectively, Gambhir forged a solid opening-partnership along with Virender Sehwag, for most of his career.

Gautam Gambhir played a crucial role during India's dominance of Test cricket from 2008-2010. The man from Delhi was in prime form during the period and succeeded in scoring runs against different opposition. It was 2009, especially, that proved to be a golden year for the southpaw. He was in sublime touch all along and was also the recipient of the ICC Test player award for the year.

Gambhir rose to the top of the ICC Test rankings and with a career-best rating of 886 points, was the No 1 batsman for a brief period.

2. Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag redefined the dynamics of playing Test cricket

Aggressive and strong on intent, Virender Sehwag was one of India's most popular cricketers all across the globe. The opening batsman was famous for his attacking style of play and managed to give whole new dynamics to the art of opening the batting in Tests.

Sehwag, owing to his swashbuckling batting irrespective of the game's format, was a daunting opponent for any bowler. Scoring runs at will, the 'Nawab of Najafgarh' acquired the stature of one of the most destructive batsmen in the world. With an unparalleled match-winning ability, the former Indian batsman also holds the record of being the only Indian batsman to score two triple hundreds in Test cricket.

Sehwag, with a career-best rating of 866 points, attained the merit of the world's best Test batsman in 2010 after his two successive centuries against Sri Lanka.

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has grown into one of the greatest batsmen of the modern-era

The latest entrant to this famed list of Indian cricketers in the sensational Virat Kohli. Fast growing into a batting colossus of the era, Kohli's recent heroics against England have made him rise several cuts above his contemporaries.

Overcoming his past debacle on English soil, Kohli has left the cricketing fraternity in awe of him. The Indian skipper is hailed as the greatest batsman of the modern era and his impeccable feats stand as testimonies.

With a rating of 934 points, Kohli has also surpassed Sunil Gavaskar's career-best of 916 points, to emerge as India's highest-rated batsman. Also, he's the only Indian to achieve the top spot in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen since Sachin Tendulkar last achieved it in 2011.