Sportskeeda's Top 50 Indian Test cricketers of all-time (30-21)

#21 Javagal Srinath

Javagal Srinath toiled long and hard on lifeless surfaces to deliver decisive spells for India

When the legendary Kapil Dev was entering the final lap of his captivating journey, a young tearaway broke through the ranks and instantly evoked a feeling of awe in Indian cricket circles. Armed with an unusually high-arm action and oodles of pace, Javagal Srinath created an alluring impression in his first few matches on tour. However, he found himself perched on the sidelines for quite some time as focus shifted to home series and the accompanying rank turners.

After Kapil's retirement and the increasing demand for a trustworthy fast bowler, Srinath metamorphosed himself into a workhorse and began to send down vast amounts of overs on non-conducive surfaces. The right-armer's incredible control of the old ball was on display during a searing spell of reverse-swing which propelled India to their maiden Test victory against South Africa at Ahmedabad. Even as the lack of suitable seam support continued to swell his workload, Srinath continued to respond to his captain's calls with an affable smile and eventually finished with a creditable tally of wickets from a sterling career.

Career Span: 1991-2002

Statistics: 236 wickets from 67 matches at an average of 30.49 and strike-rate of 64 with 10 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-wicket haul