There is no doubt that Indian cricket is in the midst of a golden age, headed by a fast-bowling squad that has shown consistently capable of winning Test matches outside of the subcontinent for the first time in its 89-year existence. Team India debuted in Test cricket on June 25, 1932, and has since played 551 matches, winning 162 times, losing 170 times, drawing 218 times, and tying once.
For a long time, India has been a wellspring of excellent cricketers. Cricket has been India’s most popular sport for over four decades. As a result, it’s no surprise that the country has produced a lot of exceptional cricketers. There have been 302 people who have played Test cricket for India, and many of them have made an indelible mark on the game.
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Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar is widely considered to be India’s first famous cricketer. He was a batsman during a period when batsmen had little protection and had to bat without a helmet against the dangerous fast bowlers of the West Indies and Australia. He was the first player in Test cricket history to achieve 10,000 runs, and he also held the record for most hundreds (34) for over two decades.
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Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag is known for his crucial stroke play, which allows him to annihilate any bowling attack wherever in the world. By playing some lengthy innings while keeping a respectable strike rate, Sehwag revolutionized the position of an opener in Test cricket. When he got rolling, the smasher could take the game away from the opponent in no time. His exceptional hand-eye coordination more than compensated for his lack of footwork. Sehwag is also the first and only Indian batsman in Test cricket history to reach two triple centuries.
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Rahul Dravid
‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid, would walk into any squad of any generation because of the rock-solid defense he would offer to the team. In 164 Tests, the former Karnataka and India captain has 13288 runs at an average of 52.31. Dravid thrived in any situation and was an expert at managing speed and spin.
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Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, dubbed “The God of Cricket,” is perhaps the best cricketer India has ever produced. He began as a promising young man and evolved into a guy who would bear the weight of the public’s expectations for years. He appeared in 200 Test matches for India, amassing 15921 runs at an average of 53.79 with 51 hundreds and 68 half-centuries.
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Virat Kohli (C)
Kohli is also the best candidate to lead this squad, having surpassed Dhoni as India’s most successful Test captain. He also made history as the first Asian skipper to win a Test series in Australia. With 33 victories, he is India’s most successful captain, and he appears to be on track for many more runs and victories.
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MS Dhoni (wk)
Dhoni has been instrumental in India’s long-format success, winning several matches with his willow and gloves. With the tail, he used to score a lot of key partnerships because he was rock strong on one end. His wicketkeeping is unorthodox but extremely successful, much like his batting.
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Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev, one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, was an incredible player. He bowled with tremendous swing and precision and was a solid middle-order batsman. He scored 5248 runs in 131 Tests for his nation, with a strike rate of 94.76 and an average of 31.05.
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Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin rose to prominence as a specialist T20 bowler, but his consistent performances for the squad at the top-level prompted selectors to call him into the Indian Test team. He was also the fastest man to reach 300 wickets, taking 54 matches to do so.
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Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble has a mind-boggling 35 five-wicket hauls to his name. Kumble made his international debut against England at Old Trafford in August 1990 and played for 18 years before retiring in 2008. Kumble took 619 wickets for India in 132 matches at an average of 29.65 and an economy rate of only 2.7.
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Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan appeared in 92 matches for India and created an impression every time he was on the field. Zaheer made 92 Test appearances for India, taking 311 wickets at an average of 32.95 in the process. Zaheer was on his way to becoming one of the best bowlers in history if it hadn’t been for injuries.
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Bishen Singh Bedi
Bedi was a key component of the squad throughout the 1970s when he played the majority of his games. Between 1975 and 1978, he captained the Indian squad for a significant period of time.
