5 overseas spinners who could have become legends if they had played for India
With rapidly deteriorating pitches as well as numerous stalwarts to look up to, India is the best country for an aspiring spinner to flourish. For slow bowlers hailing from places such as England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe, trips to this part of the world are often accompanied by lofty ambitions.
Factoring in scoreboard pressure as a result of the Asian giants' usually reliable batting lineup, spinners from outside the subcontinent dream of experiencing a taste of Indian conditions.
Also Read: 5 great Indian spinners who never played for the national team
In no particular order, let us take a close look at five underrated spinners who could have become legendary cricketers if they had played for India.
Owing to the similarity in the nature of pitches across the Indian subcontinent, spinners from other Asian countries have not been considered for this feature.
#5 Stuart MacGill (Australia)
If it were not for the fact that his career span unfortunately overlapped with that of the iconic Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill could have played so much more international cricket than his meagre 47 appearances for Australia across both Tests and ODIs.
The leg-spinner generated astonishing turns on even the flattest of pitches. Upon receiving the exalted Baggy Green in 1998, he mostly filled the role of second spinner until Warne's one-year ban in 2003 and the selectors' policy of rotation gave him further chances.
While he could extract remarkable drift and loop, MacGill did not possess the tactical nous of Warne or the relentless control of Anil Kumble. Hence, he could be taken apart on certain occasions by enterprising batsmen.
The Australian might have enjoyed a considerably longer career if he had operated predominantly on subcontinental tracks.
Taking into account his enchanting style of bowling, MacGill could have been a fascinating addition to an already strong Indian spin attack.
Statistics
Tests - 208 wickets from 44 matches at an average of 29.02 and strike-rate of 54.0; 12 five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket hauls