5 Indian spinners who could have become Test legends if they had played for other countries

#2 Rajinder Goel

Just like Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel was also another victim of the spin quartet's tremendous success

In what could be perceived as possessing eerie similarities with Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel was another great spinner who was kept out Test cricket due to the venerated quartet's glowing presence in the Indian lineup.

Apart from the one-off unofficial Test against Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) during the 1964-65 season, he never got to represent his country.

Upon toiling hard for countless years in the domestic circuit, the left-armer managed to leave an indelible legacy among Indian cricket circles.

High praise from Bishan Singh Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar (who also included him in the book of Idols) could not make up for his disappointment of missing out on an international career which Goel could have eas had if he was playing in another country.

Then lodged in Gwalior's Central Jail, notorious dacoit Bhura Singh Yadav had sent a heartfelt letter to Goel (following his retirement) congratulating him for picking up more than 600 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.

Almost three decades later, the first-class stalwart jokingly remarked that a dacoit liked him much more than the Indian selectors of his time. Looking at the manner in which he was treated, one cannot help but agree with his views.

First-class career (1958/59 - 1984/85)

750 wickets from 157 matches at an average of 18.58 and strike-rate of 53.0 with 59 five-wicket hauls and 18 ten-wicket hauls