5 Indian batters who were ranked 1 in Tests

A narrow beam of light in a land full of darkness - that's Virat Kohli. In a batting lineup with vastly experienced players who are yet to fix their technique and talented batters whose temperament has gone haywire, Virat Kohli stands tall and sets an example. While 10 other guys with the BCCI crest on their chest were dancing to the music of the English pace and swing, Kohli fought hard.

He kept offering every bit of himself but that wasn't enough to secure a victory. Hosts England registered a lead over the visitors in a 5-match Test series. Though Kohli's brilliance wasn't of any use to India, it gave the numero uno spot in the Test batters' ranking.

However, Kohli and the 'God' of cricket Sachin Tendulkar aren't the only Indian batters to gave got the prestigious crown. There were as many as five others, so let us have a look at them.

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#5 Dilip Vengsarkar

Vengsarkar held the pole position for nearly two years

The millennials will not be aware of Dilip Vengsarkar's contribution to the betterment of Indian cricket, but granddads will tell us about the legacy of the 'colonel' from Rajapur, Bombay (now Mumbai). Playing alongside the likes of Gundappa Vishwanath and Sunil Gavaskar, Vengsarkar was one of the mainstays of the Indian batting lineup in the late 1970s and 80s.

In 116 Test matches for India, Vengsarkar scored 6868 runs at an average of 42. In the prime of his career, he held the number 1 position in Test batters' ranking, which was then called the Coopers and Lybrand rating, and didn't let it slip for as long as 21 months. He eventually ended up giving the crown to Javed Miandad of Pakistan.

#4 Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir also received the ICC Best Test player of the year award

Currently enjoying the last days of his career, Gautam Gambhir will be remembered by the Indian cricket enthusiasts for his crucial contributions in the World Cups, and by Kolkatans for his legacy with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Gambhir - the Test cricketer might not be widely spoken of, but he once was the best Test batsman in the world.

Gambhir reached the tip of the iceberg in 2009 when he was enjoying the best phase of his life. In that year, he was also awarded the coveted ICC Best Test player of the year award. Gambhir went past Mohammad Yousuf to get to the top, but his stay lasted for only 10 days as a match-saving 130 from Kumar Sangakkara gave the Sri Lankan the bragging rights.

#3 Virender Sehwag

The Nawab of Najafgarh was equally proficient in all three formats of the game

Being a naturally aggressive batsman which doesn't go hand in hand with the aura of Test cricket, it might be hard to believe that Virender Sehwag was once the best Test batsman in the world. While there were innumerable questions about his selection in the Test team, Sehwag continued to do what he does best - ignore the critics and score runs for the team.

After two successive hundreds against South Africa in 2010, he reached the top of ICC Test batters' rankings. His rise to the top meant South African opener Hashim Amla would have to settle for the second place. Gambhir, Sehwag's opening partner who was the best Test player of the previous year, was struggling with his form and dropped to number 5 on the list.

#2 Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar is considered as one of the greatest openers of all time

Sunil Gavaskar is the owner of several records. Way back in 1987, Gavaskar became the first batsman ever to cross 10,000-run mark. He achieved the feat in just 124 Tests. In his 50th Test, Gavaskar scored a historic knock of 221 runs at the KIA Oval to achieve career-best Test ranking of 916.

This incident took place way back in 1979, and the record remained intact for a very long time. Tendulkar tried his best in 2002, while Dravid came very close in 2005, but Gavaskar's rating seemed too big a hurdle to cross. Earlier this year, Virat Kohli became the second Indian batsman to cross the 900-point mark, almost four decades after Gavaskar's astonishing feat.

#1 Rahul Dravid

Dravid reached the top position thrice

There can't be a list of best Test batters of all time without Rahul Dravid in it. 'The Wall' reached the pole position thrice and once spent around eight months at the top. A mesmerizing 190 against New Zealand followed by some more spectacular performance earned him the crown for the first time way back in 1999 but was dethroned by his teammate Sachin Tendulkar.

Five years later, Dravid regained his crown with his knock of 270 runs against Pakistan at Rawalpindi. Those were the best days of his career and he missed 900 points by a hair's width. A year later, he again reached the top, this time only for a week as he gave away the crown to South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis.