3 of India's best turners of the ball

Harbhajan has been one of the best off-spinners produced by India
Harbhajan has been one of the best off-spinners produced by India

Indian cricket has produced some of the best spinners since the inception of the game. A lot of them still hold many records in international cricket. A part of it has been possible due to the spinner-friendly tracks produced in India. It should be noted that many of the overseas spinners have got their career-best figures on Indian pitches.

The art of spin bowling varies among different players. While the great Anil Kumble relied more on length and accuracy rather than the spin on the ball, Harbhajan relied more on his doosra's and off-spinners. Though the wickets have come to both kinds of bowlers, it is a joy to watch the ball spin from a viewer's perspective.

On that note, let us find out who have been the best turners of the ball produced by India in recent times. These bowlers have used the advantage of Indian pitches to turn their deliveries and have strangled many batsmen.


#1 Harbhajan Singh

Bhajji, as he is fondly known, has been one of the best off-spinners produced by India till date. Harbhajan has taken wickets across formats in all conditions. His hat-trick against Australia at the beginning of his career is still a favourite among many.

The Punjab spinner has taken wickets mainly due to the spin he was generating on the ball. His doosra's, the balls that spin away from a right-hander, have become world famous and many of the current spinners are using variants of it.

Harbhajan has fallen out of favour with the Indian national team and he has been restricted to playing in the Ranji trophy and the IPL. Though it is very hard for him to make a comeback, Bhajji still has a lot to offer to the national team with his wealth of experience.

#2 Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra has been a fine leg spinner
Amit Mishra has been a fine leg spinner

he Haryana born spinner has been in and out of the Indian team for a decade. Having made his debut to succeed Anil Kumble, Amit has found it hard for chances to come by. If you compare him with Anil Kumble, Amit Mishra is more of a genuine leg spinner. Mishra relies more on the spin of the ball and tries to deceive the batsman with them. His googly, the ball that comes into a right-hander, has also resulted in a lot of wickets.

Amit Mishra has been one of the best bowlers to offer a flight to the batsman which has resulted in a lot of wickets. Most of the batsman has failed to connect the ball because of it spinning at the last moment

Amit has done very well for the Indian team in the test format. However, with the age not in his side, it would be very difficult for the leg-spinner to make a comeback to the Indian team.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin leads the current crop of Indian spinners
Ashwin leads the current crop of Indian spinners

Having started his career as an opening batsman, Ashwin is now sitting just below Anil Kumble as India's leading spin bowler. Ashwin has been a genuine off-spinner with his carrom balls adding a lot of variety to his bowling. Ashwin has been successful in removing good players of spin with his bowling accuracy and spin. His balls which turn from the leg stump to the off-stump have been a joy to watch

Ashwin's balls spin very much and it has been an advantage on the Indian pitches. Of late, he has been trying the leg-spinners too in the shorter format which has helped him adapt to in the T20s.

Ashwin is not in contention for the shorter-formats for the Indian team. However, he has been a regular in the Test team which could help him create more records. Ashwin's ability with the bat is well-known and this makes him a special player.

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Edited by Vignesh Ananthasubramanian