Sportskeeda's Top 50 Indian Test cricketers of all-time (50-41)

From Amar Singh in 1932 to Hardik Pandya in 2017, 289 Indian cricketers have managed to live the ultimate dream - represent their country in Test cricket. It has been more than 85 years since India set foot in the highest arena in the game. With an illustrious history of 515 Test matches, the Asian giants have carved a niche for themselves in the sport's traditional format.

We, at Sportskeeda, have begun a weekly series encompassing the top 50 cricketers to represent India in Tests. Starting with ranks 50-41, we count down to the crème de la crème of Indian cricket every weekend until the greatest of them all are unveiled.

Here are the key factors which have been taken into consideration in order to enumerate the cricketers.

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.

Those who nearly made the cut

Wasim Jaffer, Karsan Ghavri, Ajit Wadekar, Yuvraj Singh and Dattu Phadkar

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#50 Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha has established himself as the premier gloveman in the current Indian team

Having had to wait for his turn till the high-profile MS Dhoni bid adieu to whites, Wriddhiman Saha was primed for Test cricket right from the moment he walked into the team. Since he established himself in the domestic circles, there has not been a safer wicket-keeper than the man from West Bengal.

While his adeptness with the keeping gloves has managed to withstand the test of time, Saha's batting has grown in stature with each passing season. Apart from being a reliable gloveman, the 32-year old is also capable of making gritty contributions to the team's cause from the lower middle-order.

Career Span: 2010-present

*Statistics: 56 catches and 10 stumpings; 1112 runs from 28 matches at an average of 32.70 with 3 centuries and 5 fifties

(*Note: Statistics of all active players are accurate as of 30th September 2017)

#49 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav is one of the quickest Indian pacers of all-time

When you manage to impress someone of the stature of Sir Andy Roberts, then your career is likely to take-off. The legendary Caribbean pace machine lavished high praise on Umesh Yadav by labelling him as the 'first genuine fast bowler that India has got'.

After showing signs of early promise, Umesh experienced a lull phase even as the team management's attention turned to control and swing. However, since the 2015 series against South Africa, the strapping fast bowler has made a telling difference to India's bowling attack. Unflappable temperament and unyielding endurance were the hallmark of his consistent showing during the 2016/17 home season which saw India consolidate their standing at the top of the Test rankings.

Career Span: 2011-present

Statistics: 94 wickets from 34 matches at an average of 35.93 and strike-rate of 59.5 with 1 five-wicket haul

#48 Dilip Doshi

Dilip Doshi picked up 114 wickets despite debuting at the age of 31

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the Indian selectors offered a Test cap to a spinner who was nearing 32. However, Dilip Doshi quashed aside all preconceived notions and showed the value of relentless first-class experience by picking up 8 wickets on a lifeless surface at Chennai against the visiting Australians. The fact that he was able to outdo a Test veteran like Srinivas Venkataraghavan on his own turf exemplified the left-armer's prowess.

Extended stints with various County sides and Sunday League outfits had polished Doshi's skills. Upon being denied an earlier opportunity to graduate to the international level due to the presence of a colossus in the form of Bishan Singh Bedi, he went on to represent his country in 33 Tests and did enough to enter the unique club of bowlers with 100 or more wickets after debuting at the age of 30 or above.

Career Span: 1979-1983

Statistics: 114 wickets from 33 matches at an average of 30.71 and strike-rate of 81.7 with 6 five-wicket hauls

#47 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan's attacking approach makes him an asset on docile pitches

Shikhar Dhawan's presence in this distinguished list may evince ambivalent glances. But the left-hander's track record at the top of the order cannot be overlooked. A strike-rate of 65.44 reflects his ability to set the tone early in the piece and propel his team to a dominant position on pitches wherein enforcing results can prove to be cumbersome.

Having stormed into the international arena with a breathtaking 174-ball 187 against Australia at Mohali in 2013, Dhawan has found himself being burdened by unreasonable expectations from various quarters. Despite battling untimely injuries and experiencing dips in form, he has made a legitimate case in the revolving door of opening spots. Runs in New Zealand suggests that he can weather the new-ball away from the subcontinent too.

Career Span: 2013-present

Statistics: 1822 runs from 26 matches at an average of 43.38 with 6 centuries and 3 fifties

#46 Manoj Prabhakar

Manoj Prabhakar's all-round ability helped him lend balance to the Indian lineup

There might be a section of Indian fans who remember Manoj Prabhakar as the also-ran whose response to Sanath Jayasuriya's brutal assault was to turn himself into a spinner during that fateful day at Delhi in the 1996 World Cup. Before his career ended on an embarrassing note, Prabhakar was a reliable all-rounder who rendered commendable service to Indian cricket for the better part of a decade.

Apart from being one of the first seamers in India to comprehend reverse swing, Prabhakar could also move the new-ball both ways. During the initial phase of his journey, he set about adding useful runs from the lower-order. When the think tank offered him the chance to showcase his batting skills at the top of the order, he readily grabbed the opportunity and managed to transform himself into a steady opening batsman as well.

Career Span: 1984-1995

Statistics: 1600 runs from 39 matches at an average of 32.65 with 1 century and 9 fifties; 96 wickets at an average of 37.30 and strike-rate of 77.8 with 3 five-wicket hauls

#45 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami is the pace spearhead of the current Indian team

At a time when the entire cricket world was fixated on Sachin Tendulkar's final hurrah, a hitherto unseen fast bowler emerged from the shadows to grab a visceral part of the spotlight. Radiating the archetypal panache associated with those heralded fast men from across the border, Mohammed Shami instantly evoked a feeling of awe with his searing pace and scorching reverse swing.

Almost four years since then, Shami has settled down to become one of the premier components of India's Test bowling jigsaw. Recurring injuries and inadequate fitness level have impeded his development. Yet, he has bowled decisive spells and gathered a sizeable number of wickets at a respectable average. The upcoming round of challenging away tours will provide him with a platform to take his game to the next level.

Career Span: 2013-present

Statistics: 86 wickets from 25 matches at an average of 30.87 and strike-rate of 54.3 with 2 five-wicket hauls

#44 Nayan Mongia

Nayan Mongia kept wickets dexterously on rapidly deteriorating tracks

If conflating the adrenaline rush induced by fast bowlers is a demanding assignment for a wicket-keeper, then anticipating the vagaries of viciously turning fourth/fifth day tracks and assisting rampant spinners in the subcontinent becomes an even tougher task. As evidenced by his efficiency in standing up to the masterful Anil Kumble on rapidly crumbling surfaces in the 90s, Nayan Mongia was a technically accomplished gloveman.

Not unlike most wicket-keepers of his generation, Mongia looked more at ease behind the stumps rather than in front of them. Nevertheless, he still found ways to chip in with handy batting contributions whenever his team desperately needed runs down the order. When he was asked by the team management to convert himself into a makeshift opener for the 1996 Delhi Test against Australia, he welcomed the decision with a match-winning 152.

Career Span: 1994-2001

Statistics: 99 catches and 8 stumpings; 1442 runs from 44 matches at an average of 24.03 with 1 century and 6 fifties

#43 KL Rahul

KL Rahul announced his arrival with a splendid century at the Sydney Cricket Ground

At 25, KL Rahul's induction to the pantheon of Indian greats might seem to be a premature one. But numbers seldom lie. Among all opening batsmen with at least 1000 Test runs for India, only Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag possess a better average than the elegant right-hander from Karnataka.

After forcing his way into the national team by scoring prolifically in the domestic circuit, Rahul has rapidly risen to become a batsman to keep an eye out for across all formats of the game. While those bottom-handed habits picked up from a glut of white-ball matches can creep into his Test game from time to time, he continues to score high-impact runs at the top of the order. His remarkable consistency in the 2017 home series against a determined Australian side not only fetched him 6 valuable half-centuries on raging turners but also helped India reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Career Span: 2014-present

Statistics: 1342 runs from 19 matches at an average of 46.27 with 4 centuries and 9 fifties

#42 Chandu Borde

Chandu Borde was the only Indian cricketer to play in the 1967 Barbados commemoration match

Chandu Borde's legacy in world cricket during the days of yore was cemented when he became the solitary Indian in a star studded Rest of the World XI which took on the Sir Garry Sobers-led Barbados team in a 4-day match at the Kensington Oval during the 1966/67 season to commemorate the island country's independence from the United Kingdom. By then, the compact right-hander had constructed a productive career as the fulcrum of India's batting lineup.

Extra Cover: 5 Indian legends who did not have a memorable Test debut

Apart from being an unswerving presence in the middle-order, Borde also bowled serviceable leg-spin. Were it not for an unfortunate shoulder injury, he could have added to his collection of 52 wickets which comprised of a five-for too. His 1604 first-class runs in the 1964/65 season remained a national record for more than 50 years before Cheteshwar Pujara eventually overhauled the tally earlier this year.

Career Span: 1958-1969

Statistics: 3061 runs from 55 matches at an average of 35.59 with 5 centuries and 18 fifties

#41 Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan showed enormous potential when he burst on to the scene

If first impressions were enough to weave a prophecy, then the image of a curly-haired Irfan Pathan elicited an immediate splutter in Indian cricket circles. For here was the propitious prince who appeared to possess the all-round talent as well as euphoria-inducing charisma to step into Kapil Dev's long-vacant throne. Although the left-armer could not live up to those lofty demands, he eventually eked out a reasonable Test career and ensured his presence in the list of top Indian all-rounders.

Irfan remains one of only ten Indian cricketers to complete the Test double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets. Some of the memorable moments of his red-ball career include a sensational opening over hat-trick against arch-rivals Pakistan in Karachi and a Player of the Match worthy performance in India's unforgettable Test victory against an intimidating Australian outfit in Perth.

*Career Span: 2003-present

Statistics: 100 wickets from 29 matches at an average of 32.26 and strike-rate of 58.8 with 7 five-wicket hauls and 2 ten-wicket match hauls; 1105 runs at an average of 31.57 with 1 century and 6 fifties

(*Note: Irfan Pathan is yet to officially announce his retirement from Tests)