Test cricket is a format of a long match duration and is considered the most precious format. Unlike the limited overs format, to win test matches without taking wickets is very tough. Since the beginning, Test cricket has seen many great Indian cricketers .India has produced some of the finest players over the years. India is home to every player and has some of the best players to play Test cricket. Indian athletes dominate every position, from bowlers with the most test wickets to the batsman with the most runs scored in international competition. Let us look at the top 10 greatest Test players of the Indian cricket team:
1. Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar was a pure batting genius and is the greatest opening batsman of all time. Sunil Gavaskar was India first truly great player with the bat. The right-handed batsman owned classic techniques and immeasurable levels of concentration. Gavaskar was called the hitting machine and became the first batsman to score 10000+ runs in Test cricket. He was the first Indian player to score 34 Test centuries and play 100 consecutive matches. He is regarded as the best Indian Test cricketer and holds the 1st spot on the list.
2. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman India has ever produced. He had a unique vision and was a genius with the bat in his hand. His technique, stance ,and bat swing were incredible to watch. Tendulkar played 200 Test matches and scored 15921 runs with 51 centuries. He had every weapon to defend agains tany style of bowling. Tendulkar was the perfect batsman to ever played, with no flaws.
3. Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid is considered one of the best test cricketers in the history of the sport. His excellent timing, stroke play, and technique were incredible. Dravid hasscored 13288 runs in 164 matches with 36 centuries. After Sachin Tendulkar, he is the second-highest scorer in Test cricket. He was always there in the team when needed the most. In 2001, at Kolkata, he scored crucial 180 runs against Australia in the Test match and became the architect of the win. He holds the 3rd spot as one of the best test cricketers in the Indian team.
4. Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag is one of the most devastating test batsmen in the history of cricket. He was known as Multan ka Sultan because of his unmatched aggression and minimal footwork. In 104 Test matches, Sehwag scored 8586
runs. He is the first Indian to score 319 runs in a single game in Test cricket . Sehwag was an expert in hitting boundaries. He didn't care if it was a Test game, an ODI, or a T20. The only goal was to hit the ball.
5. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is not only one of the greatest all-rounders in history but is also the finest fast bowler ever to represent India. He was a disciplined performer and could move the ball both ways in the air. Kapil Dev has scored 5248 runs in 131matches in Test cricket. He is the only player who has scored 5000+ runs and has taken 434 wickets in Test cricket history. His total of 434 test wickets was once the best in cricket.
6. Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble was a true warrior of Indian cricket. He is one of the finest leg-spin bowlers in Test history and has taken 619 wickets in test cricket. Kumble relieson pace, bounce, and accuracy and does not turn the ball very much. He used different length paces to confuse his opponents. Kumble is the only Indian player to dismiss all ten batsmen in a Test match innings. He holds the 6th spot on the list.
7. Vijay Hazare
Vijay Hazare played between 1951 to 1953 for India internationally. At 31, he made his Test debut which explains why his Test career was short. Vijay Hazare was one of the first Indian athletes to experience great success on the world stage. In First-class cricket, he scored 18,740 runs with 60 centuries and took 595 wickets. He is the only Indian to hit two triple centuries, making him one of the top test cricketers in the Indian squad.
8. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly is a former cricketer and is one of the most successful captains of the Indian cricket team. Ganguly was a reliable middle-order batsman and was known for the Off-side style. He was a fierce competitor. In 1996, he entered the test format with a bang scoring a hundred on debut against England at the historic Lord's cricket ground. In 113 matches, Ganguly scored 7212 runs at an average of 42.2. Ganguly becomes the only player to have a century on his debut.
9. VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman is a former cricketer and recognized as one of the best Indian test players. Laxman was a master at using his wrists, and his off-side play was superb. He was known for his sight, phenomenal stroke play, and cleverness. He has scored 8781 runs in 134 Test matches with 17 centuries. Nobody will ever forget Laxman's 281 against Australia in the 2001 Eden Gardens Test, which gave India the unexpected victory.
10. Mohammed Azharuddin
Azharuddin is a former cricketer and is one of the aggressive batsmen of the Indian cricket team. Azharuddin was a supreme batter in his best years. He had a great hitting technique. In 99 test matches, he scored 6215 runs with 22
centuries. In his first three Test matches against England, he immediately made an impact by scoring three straight hundreds. He is one of the best test Indian players.
