Sportskeeda's Top 50 Indian Test cricketers of all-time (10-1)

#6 Bishan Singh Bedi

Bishan Singh Bedi's mellifluous action was akin to a charmer seducing a snake

Before the pangs of age turned him into a no-nonsense critic, Bishan Singh Bedi was among the most elegant spinners to grace the game. His simple yet alluring bowling action was the metaphorical equivalent of the smooth cascading of a waterfall. Considering the excessive dose of limited-overs matches in the modern era, the left-armer's jaw-dropping tally of 1560 first-class wickets is likely to remain the gold standard in Indian history. His captaincy stint may irrevocably be embossed by the bold declaration which protected his spinners' fingers from the blood bath instigated by Clive Lloyd's West Indies team in 1976.

From a land which has produced several high-quality cricketers, Bedi is one of only four representatives from India (the others being Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble) to figure in ICC's Hall of Fame. While plenty more may be added to the prestigious group in the coming years, not many can claim to have captivated the spectators in such spellbinding manner as the cherished spinner did in his heydays.

Career Span: 1966/67-1979

Statistics: 266 wickets from 67 matches at an average of 28.71 and strike-rate of 80.3 with 14 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-wicket haul