Five retired left-arm spinners who could walk into the present day Team India unit

Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was adjudged player of the tournament in the 1985 World Championship

Mention Ravi Shastri and chances are that your mind would race back to 1985. Images of the Indian team hoisting the World Championship of Cricket trophy atop the Audi car in Australia will forever be etched in folklore and Shastri was in the middle of it all – holding center stage.

Starting off as a batsman in the lower-order and finishing up as an opener, Shastri was (for many) the first Indian left-arm spinning all-rounder in limited overs white-ball Cricket. By his own admission, the tall Mumbaikar wasn’t particularly talented but rose to stardom through sheer hard work.

A grafter of runs while opening the batting, Shastri accumulated 4,650 ODI runs and 3,830 Test runs in an international career that spanned a little over a decade. Over the years, Shastri proved to be the quintessential utility-cricket and shone consistently with the ball as well - his left-arm orthodox finger spinners fetching 151 Test and 129 ODI wickets.