Sportskeeda's Top 50 Indian Test cricketers of all-time (40-31)

After unveiling the list of ranks 50-41 last week, we now move on to the next set of players who have managed to leave an indelible imprint on the annals of Indian Test history. As with the previous group, the cricketers encompassing ranks 40-31 in our exclusive weekend feature are also enumerated according to the following criteria.

a) Overall career consistency.

b) Performances in matches won.

c) Performances in Tests outside India.

d) Game-changing efforts in big matches against quality opponents on Indian soil.

e) Stature in world cricket; opinions of peers and various experts.

f) Establishing new trends by breaking previously existing stereotypes.

g) Minimum cut-off of 1000 runs for batsmen/100 wickets for bowlers/50 dismissals for wicket-keepers in order to formulate a meaningful sample size.

h) Statistics have not been assumed to be the be-all and end-all of a player’s value. A general consensus has been arrived after factoring in every aspect of each cricketer’s career.

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#40 Farokh Engineer

Farokh Engineer added flamboyance and style to an otherwise prosaic Indian team

India's original 'Brylcreem Boy', Farokh Engineer was a rare colourful personality in a team mostly filled with stodgy cricketers. With his electric quiver of shots and charming wicket-keeping, he enthralled spectators across the globe. A versatile approach to batting saw him take on different roles from opening the innings to adding vital runs lower down the order.

Be it Bishan Singh Bedi's loop and Srinivas Venkataraghavan's flight or Bhagwath Chandrasekhar's serration and Erapalli Prasanna's guile, Engineer adapted brilliantly to the inherent variety within the fabled Indian spin quartet. A gifted ability to pick up length quickly helped him maintain his synchronisation with the iconic tweakers from behind the stumps.

Career Span: 1961-1975

Statistics: 66 catches and 16 stumpings; 2611 runs from 46 matches at an average of 31.08 with 2 centuries and 16 fifties

#39 Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

MAK Pataudi led India's self-respect movement by backing the team's strengths

Born into a royal family, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's strong leadership played an instrumental role in enabling India to break free from the shackles of convention. Acknowledging the fact that the team's strengths lay in spin, he parted ways with those ineffective medium pacers and backed his slow bowlers to take on the challenge of picking up wickets right from the outset.

More often than not, Pataudi's side comprised of three world-class spinners. Even though most other teams employed swifter men with the new ball in order to land early blows, he ensured that the ball was roughed up quickly and brought his spinners into the attack following a few customary overs from the part-time seamers.

Upon empowering the tweakers to deliver the goods under different conditions, it was no coincidence that India's maiden Test, as well as series triumph away from home (3-1 in New Zealand, 1968), came under his captaincy.

Career Span: 1961-1975

Statistics: 2793 runs from 46 matches at an average of 34.91 with 6 centuries and 16 fifties

#38 Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma burst onto the scene by rattling Ricky Ponting with a vicious spell at Perth in 2008

Ishant Sharma announced his arrival with a ferocious spell against Australia at the WACA in the 2007/08 series. The manner in which he tormented an in-form Ricky Ponting on a rapid Perth surface instantly turned him into a household name. However, as his career began to progress, the lanky fast bowler from Delhi struggled to meet the burden of expectations that had emanated from his promising start.

However, during the course of the last few seasons, Ishant has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in Test cricket. Realising that he might not be able to control his lengths without sacrificing a yard of pace, the right-armer transformed himself into a metronome capable of sending down countless economical overs in stifling conditions. As things stand, only Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath have taken more wickets than Ishant among Indian fast bowlers.

Career Span: 2007-present

*Statistics: 218 wickets from 77 matches at an average of 36.93 and strike-rate of 67.7 with 7 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-wicket haul

(*Note: All Statistics are accurate as of 7th October 2017)

#37 Vinod Kambli

Vinod Kambli's average of 54.20 is the highest among all Indian batsmen with at least 1000 runs

It is a travesty that Vinod Kambli played only 17 Tests despite possessing a stellar track record. After rising up the echelons alongside childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar, the mercurial left-hander had a sensational start to his career. His first seven matches fetched him as many as four centuries, including two double tons. Unlike the vast majority of present-day batsmen, he was absolutely lethal against the turning ball.

At the peak of his powers, Kambli demonstrated his capacity to dominate spin by launching a brutal assault on the highly rated Shane Warne. Unfortunately, the southpaw did not realise his immeasurable potential and went on a free-fall. He began to command headlines for his lavish lifestyle off the field instead of putting in the hard yards on it.

A recurring technical issue against pace added to his woes. While the selectors were willing to provide him with several opportunities in ODIs, their patience pertaining to his red-ball game eventually ran out and the stroke-maker's Test career met a premature end.

Career Span: 1993-1995

Statistics: 1084 runs from 17 matches at an average of 54.20 with 4 centuries and 3 fifties

#36 Kiran More

Only MS Dhoni and Syed Kirmani have affected more dismissals for India than Kiran More

In terms of pure wicket-keeping skills, not many could match Kiran More's athleticism and enthusiasm behind the stumps. Not unlike those of his ilk, he was a feisty competitor and often managed to get under the skin of well-set batsmen. His hilarious interaction with Javed Miandad during a pool game in the 1992 World Cup remains one of the most fascinating moments in the intense rivalry between India and Pakistan. When he donned his whites as well, the Baroda-born cricketer showed a similar amount of zeal.

Extra Cover: 5 best wicketkeepers produced by India

With his safe pair of hands and quick reflexes, More became a vital cog in the Indian team. Even as the likes of Narendra Hirwani and Anil Kumble were making merry on rapidly deteriorating pitches, his dexterous wicket-keeping played a crucial role in enhancing their spells. Not the most gifted with the bat, he still found ways to contribute to the team total through sheer will.

Career Span: 1986-1993

Statistics: 110 catches and 20 stumpings; 1285 runs from 49 matches at an average of 25.70 with 7 fifties

#35 Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was India's premier spin all-rounder right throughout the 80s and early 90s

When he made his Test debut against New Zealand in the 1981 Wellington Test, Ravi Shastri batted at the number ten position. Not many would have envisaged the left-arm spinner finishing his career as an opening batsman. The steep transition from specialist bowler to batting all-rounder should serve as a summary of his eventful journey in the international arena.

While he would later make his name as an obdurate batsman who could blunt the new-ball and set the foundation for the middle-order, Shastri spent the vast majority of his career floating through different positions in the batting lineup. His height and unrelenting accuracy lent a different dimension to the Indian bowling attack. Even though his cricket was not as loud as his subsequent commentary stint, the all-rounder was a utility player in his heydays.

Career Span: 1981-1992

Statistics: 3830 runs from 80 matches at an average of 35.79 with 11 centuries and 12 fifties; 151 wickets at an average of 40.96 and strike-rate of 104.3 with 2 five-wicket hauls

#34 Navjot Singh Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu could seamlessly shift between defence and attack

Navjot Singh Sidhu's batting was as hard to fathom as his extremely convoluted articulation. Initially written off as a 'stroke-less wonder' by a popular cricket journalist, the right-hander responded to stinging criticism by revamping his game and became a ruthless six-hitter against spinners. Even as he earned a new sobriquet called 'Sixer Sidhu', the same critic paid tribute to his transformation by terming him the 'palm-grove hitter'.

Extra Cover: Navjot Singh Sidhu's journey to the pinnacle

Despite a 16-year career at the highest level, Sidhu played only 51 Tests due to a multitude of reasons. Underneath the tough and rugged exterior, he was an enigmatic character. During 1996, he once walked out of an England tour in an abrupt manner following a case of miscommunication with skipper Mohammad Azharuddin. However, as an opening batsman, he had the technique to withstand incisive new-ball spells as well as the tenacity to build on his starts.

Career Span: 1983-1999

Statistics: 3202 runs from 51 matches at an average of 42.13 with 9 centuries and 15 fifties

#33 Srinivas Venkataraghavan

Srinivas Venkataraghavan was part of the legendary Indian spin quartet

With a simple bowling action and strict adherence to the basics, Srinivas Venkataraghavan was the quintessential Test spinner. Although his average and strike-rate might seem a tad underwhelming when compared to the other three members of the iconic spin quartet, the man from Madras played his part in procuring dismissals. His remarkable economy-rate of 2.27 stands as a testament to his capacity to maintain unrelenting pressure on the opposition batsmen.

Apart from being a formidable off-spinner, Venkataraghavan was also a handy tail-end batsman and an adept close-in fielder. The presence of a slew of spin options resulted in a tussle for spots in the playing eleven. After representing his country in 57 Tests (with 5 of those as captain), he bid adieu to the game and began his second-innings as an umpire. Reminiscent of his playing career, he earned worldwide respect for his exemplary decision-making prowess.

Career Span: 1965-1983

Statistics: 156 wickets from 57 matches at an average of 36.11 and strike-rate of 95.3 with 3 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-wicket haul

#32 Dilip Sardesai

Dilip Sardesai reserved his best for crisis situations and hostile conditions

If 1983 re-defined ODI cricket in India, 1971 served as the watershed moment in the country's Test history. Often derided for their lack of potency away from home, Ajit Wadekar's team finally turned the tide with successive series victories in West Indies and England. While many fondly recall the prolific run-making of Sunil Gavaskar and the game-changing spells of Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, the resilient efforts of Dilip Sardesai are not remembered by the masses with the same vigour.

Yet, it was Sardesai who kept the Caribbean bowlers at bay with a whopping 642 runs at an average of 80.25 including a spectacular double ton on a quick surface at Sabina Park. Were it not for his dogged 139-ball 54 and spirited 156-ball 40, India might not have plotted their euphoric conquest of The Oval and the accompanying maiden Test series triumph in England. The commendable aspect of his feats stemmed from the right-hander's wherewithal to curb his extensive array of shots and bat according to the situation.

Career Span: 1961-1972

Statistics: 2001 runs from 30 matches at an average of 39.23 with 5 centuries and 9 fifties

#31 Murali Vijay

Murali Vijay's stoic demeanour and silken stroke-play make him an asset at the top of the order

While he was turning heads with his attacking approach with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Murali Vijay channelled his alter-ego to gain prominence as a patient opening batsman in the first-class circuit. When he was drafted into the Test squad during the 2008 Nagpur Test against Australia as a replacement for the injured Gautam Gambhir, the elegant right-hander immediately impressed the likes of Allan Border with his unflappable temperament.

The 2013 series against the same opponents sparked the turning point in his career. Demonstrating his ability to spend long hours at the crease, Vijay smashed two 150-plus scores to pave the way for a memorable 4-0 triumph. He amplified his reputation by standing tall on bowling-friendly surfaces during the challenging round of overseas trips and consequently managed to seal a spot at the top of the order in the current Indian team.

Extra Cover: Murali Vijay - A man for all seasons

As with any world-class opener, the Tamil Nadu cricketer's biggest asset is his impressive judgement around the corridor of uncertainty. Such tightness in technique allows him to leave the ball on length and force the opposition to bowl to his strengths.

Career Span: 2008-present

*Statistics: 3408 runs from 51 matches at an average of 39.62 with 9 centuries and 15 fifties

(*Note: All Statistics are accurate as of 7th October 2017)