Top 5 Indian leg-spinners of all time

India is a land where brain has always been given precedence over brawn. A rich history of spin bowling might just be a reflection of that social belief. Hot and humid climatic conditions have always given the bowlers who give it a tweak a better opportunity to shine than the faster breed.

Scanning through the history of Indian cricket we find a plethora of finger spinners - both left arm and right arm. Successful leg spinners are conspicuous by their absence. Only a handful of leg spinners have had successful Test careers.

We look at the top 5 leg spinners in Indian cricket history:

#5 Narendra Deepchand Hirwani

Bespectacled and wearing a headband, Narendra Hirwani made a record-breaking debut against the mighty West Indies on their 1988 tour of India. He took 16 wickets on a turner at the Wankhede on his Test debut. He added another 20 wickets in the next three Tests. He was set for a bright future.

The fizz and guile of his bowling which he displayed in his debut series never appeared on unhelpful pitches away from the subcontinent. He last played a Test in 1996 when India were busy swooping opposition on helpful Indian pitches. He took 66 wickets in the 17 Tests that he played, out of which 45 wickets came in home conditions while only 21 came away.

The emergence of Anil Kumble largely restricted him to the confines of domestic cricket. He captured 732 first class victims in 167 matches largely playing for his home state of Madhya Pradesh. He retired from first-class cricket in 2006.

#4 Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

The "Boy Wizard" who lost his way

Thin and wiry, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan seemed destined for greatness when he took 12 for 181 at Bombay in the 1984-85 series against England. He was awarded the Man of the Series for scalping 23 wickets in that series. The "Boy Wizard" turned the ball appreciably and had a classical leg spin action.

The 1980s was a decade of young talents going astray in Indian cricket. Siva was also a prime example of that. He followed up the England series by bowling beautifully in the World Championship of Cricket held in Australia. His meteoric rise was unprecedented for an Indian spinner.

What followed was a sharp decline in Siva's performances. He barely did anything of note since then. He was also confined to plying his trade in the domestic arena. He took 154 wickets in 76 first-class matches at an average of 38.49. In the cauldron of domestic cricket, the "Boy Wizard" was somehow lost.

#3 Subash Gupte

Shining light of India in the 1950s

Subash Gupte was a world class leg spinner who played for India regularly in the 50s and sporadically in the 60s. Some would argue that he was perhaps the finest of them all. Sir Garfield Sobers rated him above the great magician Shane Warne.

He was of a slight build, turned the ball alarmingly and was immaculate in his line and lengths. His career took off during the Indian tour of West Indies in 1952-53 while bowling to the three Ws. Gupte captured 27 wickets in Tests on that tour. He was the best Indian bowler on the tour to Pakistan in 1954-55. He decimated the Kiwis in the following home summer.

The 1956-57 home season was touted as a battle between Richie Benaud and him. Neil Harvey tackled him beautifully while Benaud mesmerized the Indian batsmen. He took his career best of 9 for 102 against the touring West Indies in Kanpur two seasons later. In all, he took 149 wickets in 36 Test matches at an average of 29.55 with 12 five-wicket hauls.

He took 65 wickets at an average of 28.52 away from home. He last played for India in 1961.

#2 Bhagwat Chandrashekhar

God's gift to Indian cricket

Long locks; slight frame; full-sleeved shirt and a withered right arm. Bhagwat Chandrasekhar bamboozled the batsmen with fizzing leg spin, top spinners and googlies. A long jumpy run-up to the bowling crease ended with a fast snappy action, sending the red leather ball at a pace close to that of a medium pacer.

Chandrashekhar was perhaps the most lethal member of India's famed spin quartet of the 1970s. Chandrashekar's greatest hour came in the 1971 series in England when he ran through the English side with his unconventional leg spin bowling action. His greatest weapon was his unpredictability. His withered right arm sent down many mysteries to the batsmen which they couldn't fathom.

He took 242 wickets in 58 Tests at an average of 29.74. Most important were his contributions in rare overseas wins for India in the 1970s. He took 12 wickets in the victory at Melbourne in 1978. His record in winning matches bears a testimony to his greatness. He took 98 wickets in 14 winning Tests.

#1 Anil Kumble

Greatest Indian match winner

Bespectacled, good physique and a high arm action, Anil Kumble appeared on the scene in the early 1990s, running through visiting sides with his mix of top spinners, googlies and flippers. He was perhaps the greatest match winner India has ever produced.

He delivered the balls with fizz and pace instead of floating it in the air. Courtesy his immaculate line and length, he was the chief architect of many Indian victories in the 1990s and the 2000s.

He ran through a formidable Pakistani lineup at his favourite Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi to capture all 10 wickets in an innings. He remodelled his bowling style in the second half of his career to deliver emphatic triumphs on foreign soil. He took a staggering 619 wickets in 132 Tests. His 244 wickets in 43 winning causes at an average of 18.75 make him arguably the greatest match winner in Indian cricket history.