5 legends with the most textbook bowling actions in cricket history

#3 Slow left-arm orthodox - Bishan Singh Bedi

The above sequence of images perfectly encapsulate Bedi's silken action

A certain Jim Laker (who incidentally appears in the next segment) had an immediate answer when asked about his Utopian dream. He nonchalantly declared, "My idea of paradise is Lord’s in the sunshine, with Ray Lindwall bowling from one end and Bishan Bedi from the other." Possessing a bowling action which evoked similarities with the precision of a clock's movements, Bishan Singh Bedi had the power to leave everyone in a state of trance whenever he was in the middle of his spell.

Bedi's bowling action was so flawless that it was almost impossible not to be in awe of it. After sauntering from his mark with an inimitable whip of his hip muscles, the left-arm spinner utilised his strong fore-arm to summon tantalising flight and proceeded to entice the batsman. The consummate flow of inertia from his high-arm movement to the supple finish was an ideal study in bio-mechanics. Even though quite a few Indian spinners may have gone past his Test wickets tally, none of them might match up to Bedi's legacy when it comes to aesthetics and allure.

Watch Bedi's enchanting bowling action