3 Indian batsmen who were dropped from the Test team despite having an impressive record

Cricket has gained massive popularity in the last decade, probably because of the advent of the T20 format. However, Test cricket, the oldest and purest version of the game, can never go out of fashion. It is the ultimate test of a cricketer's character, technique, skill, resilience and fortitude.

More often than not, Test cricket gives equal opportunity to both the bowlers and the batsmen to showcase their skills and have an impact on the game. Moreover, time is not a constraint in this particular format of the sport.

The game of cricket has witnessed an enormous amount of talent come through to the international level over the years. These talented cricketers have not only taken the game to a higher level but have also been a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes across the globe.

However, some of these incredibly talented players were unfortunate as they were discarded from the team despite numerous spell-binding performances in their short Test career. Here are three Indian Test batsmen who were surprisingly dropped from the national side:

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#3 Sadagoppan Ramesh

Sadagopan Ramesh

Sadagoppan Ramesh came into the limelight when he scored over 200 runs in his first four Test innings against arch-rivals Pakistan in the year 1999. His temperament and timing grabbed immediate attention and appreciation from every corner of the world.

Ramesh continued his sublime form and scored a well-compiled 143 in the very next series against Sri Lanka in their backyard. The southpaw crafted a crucial 232-run partnership with Rahul Dravid for the second wicket and ensured a decent first innings total for his team.

The Chennai-born batsman had an awful tour of Australia in December 1999, scoring just 60 runs in the 4 innings he played on the tour. But he made a strong comeback in November 2000 against Bangladesh, scoring a vital half-century.

Ramesh's form blew hot and cold for the remainder of his career, as he failed to convert his decent starts into big scores. He scored 223 runs in his final Test series against Sri Lanka in 2001 at a decent average of 37.16 but unfortunately he was never reconsidered for selection.

Ramesh amassed 1367 runs in the 19 Tests he played for India.

#2 Pravin Amre

Pravin Amre

Pravin Amre became an immediate star for India when he scored an overseas century on his Test debut against South Africa in Durban in the year 1992. The middle-order batsman performed consistently with the bat but failed to cement his place in the team.

The Mumbai-born cricketer scored three (consecutive) half-centuries in his next 12 Test innings but was dropped from the team after his poor performance against Sri Lanka in 1993.

Amre could never make it back to the Indian squad despite amassing tons of runs at the domestic level. He accumulated 425 runs in the 13 Test innings he played throughout his career at an impressive average of 42.50.

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#1 Vinod Kambli

Vinod Kambli

Vinod Kambli became an overnight sensation when he scored back-to-back double hundreds in his fourth and fifth Test innings, in the year 1993.

Kambli was a prolific performer in the longest format of the game. The southpaw managed to score 1084 runs at an incredible average of 54.20 in the 21 Test innings he played for India.

But he was dropped from the Indian Test team in 1995 and was never reconsidered for selection despite his spell-binding performances at the domestic level. Kambli scored 9965 first-class runs for Mumbai, maintaining an unbelievable average of 59.20 throughout his career.