5 Spinners whom India can try in Test cricket
Indian subcontinent has a history of producing great spinners such as the likes of Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan, Saqlain Mushtaq who were a nightmare for the batsmen. India has been a spin oriented nation in the world of cricket and has produced some of the greatest spinners ever known. The spinners, with their guile and variations have won many matches for India. India’s spin attack was at its peak in the 1960’s when the famous quartet of Bishan Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan used to make up for the absence of quality pacers in the bowling lineup. Bedi was a bowler who relied on flight for wickets whereas Prasanna and Venkat were off spinners. Together they were a batsman’s worst nightmare as they dominated them on turning tracks at home and were equally potent in the seaming tracks abroad.After they left, the legacy was carried forward by the likes of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh ,Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra and many more. In the current scenario, the spin attack consists of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. But for India to continue its global dominance in cricket, it has to look beyond these options and prepare for the future. Elite spinners have risen through the domestic circuit but India faces the "problem of plenty" which has barred such supreme players to represent their country.
Representing the country is a dream for every player but only a select few reach the level required to make the cut.
With this is in mind, let us have a look at 5 spinners who sould be given a chance in the near future:
#1. Shreyas Gopal
Shreyas Gopal burst onto the scene with the Karnataka side in 2013-14 Ranji season as a middle order batsman who could bowl leg spin. A year later, he claimed 22 wickets at an average of 18.22 in his maiden Ranji Trophy season which proved to be vital in their title winning campaign. It’s been tough for spinners in the Ranji trophy, but Shreyas is someone who takes those disappointments on the chin. Shreyas Gopal has a bowling action similar to the legendary Indian wrist spinner Anil Kumble. Shreyas Gopal is being mentored by the likes of Shane Warne at Rajasthan Royals camp which can help him fulfill the potential he possesses .
Shreyas turned heads when he claimed the wickets of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in a crunch game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Also, he has no lack of inspiration as his Karnataka teammates Rahul and Stuart Binny have made it to the Indian Cricket team. They are the ones he can look up to.
Till now he has played 46 FC matches scoring 1907 runs at an average of 35.98 with the bat and has claimed 152 wickets at an average of 26.83. These figures are an indication of his skills and quality as a player. In the recently concluded IPL, he picked up 11 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 7.61 and played a key role in Rajasthan Royal’s comeback season where they managed to reach the playoffs.