Sportskeeda's Top 50 Indian Test cricketers of all-time (40-31)

#33 Srinivas Venkataraghavan

Srinivas Venkataraghavan was part of the legendary Indian spin quartet

With a simple bowling action and strict adherence to the basics, Srinivas Venkataraghavan was the quintessential Test spinner. Although his average and strike-rate might seem a tad underwhelming when compared to the other three members of the iconic spin quartet, the man from Madras played his part in procuring dismissals. His remarkable economy-rate of 2.27 stands as a testament to his capacity to maintain unrelenting pressure on the opposition batsmen.

Apart from being a formidable off-spinner, Venkataraghavan was also a handy tail-end batsman and an adept close-in fielder. The presence of a slew of spin options resulted in a tussle for spots in the playing eleven. After representing his country in 57 Tests (with 5 of those as captain), he bid adieu to the game and began his second-innings as an umpire. Reminiscent of his playing career, he earned worldwide respect for his exemplary decision-making prowess.

Career Span: 1965-1983

Statistics: 156 wickets from 57 matches at an average of 36.11 and strike-rate of 95.3 with 3 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-wicket haul