Test Record: Matches - 125; Runs - 10,122; Average - 51.12;
Highest Score - 236 not out; 100s - 34.
F.C. Record: Matches - 348; Runs - 25,834; Average - 51.46; Highest
Score - 340; 100s - 81.
2. VINOO MANKAD: Even 28 years after his death, his name
lives on as the man associated with the highest opening stand
in Test history -- (413).
A team player for all time and India’s first great Test
all-rounder.
Mankad was a high-quality right-hand batsman and an equally high
calibre match-winning left-arm arthodox slow bowler who spun the
ball very strong, with perfect variations of flight, length and
angle.
He could bat in any position and played great cricket all over
the world.
At Lord’s (1952) he turned out a performance of unrivalled
quality overs.
He took 776 first-class wickets (average 24.61).
Test Record: Matches - 44; Runs - 2,109; Average - 31.47; Highest
Score - 231; 100s - 5; Wkts. - 162; Average - 32.32; Best Bowling
- 8/55.
3. RAHUL DRAVID: Captain of the current 2006 Indian team
in the West Indies, the articulate and intelligent Dravid has
been around for 10 years.
During this time he has earned for himself a grand reputation
worldwide, as his country’s great bastion, knight and wall.
He is as good as any No. 3 in world cricket history and is a batsman
of great class, charm, fluidity and wristy-play.
Only player to date to hit a century in all 10 Test nations.
He has the record also of most catches in Tests by an Indian fielder
barring the wicketkeeper.
One of the all-time greats.
Test Record: Matches - 100; Runs - 8,553; Average - 57.79; Highest
Score - 270; 100s - 22; Catches - 138.
ODI Record: Matches - 287; Runs - 9,378; Average - 40.60; Highest
Score - 153; 100s - 11.
4. SACHIN TENDULKAR: India’s most celebrated/famous
sportsman of all time.
In addition, he is the most successful run-scorer/century-maker
in world cricket history.
After 17 years of playing at the highest level, he has not lost
his fervour for the sport.
The game’s all-time richest cricketer, only this month he
signed on a long-term contract with ICONIX worth US $40 million.
His charitable cause knows no bounds; he has donated vastly all
over India and overseas.
As a player, he must be the greatest of all time -- his statistical
data needs no reiteration.
Only recently, a majestic new book by author/educator Clifford
Narinesingh was launched on Tendulkar’s life/career/achivements,
both in India and TnT.
Test Record: Matches - 132; Runs - 10,469; Average - 55.39; Highest
Score - 248 not out; 100s - 35.
ODI Record: Matches - 362; Runs - 14,146; Average - 44.20; Highest
Score - 186 not out; 100s - 39.
5. GUNDAPPA VISHWANATH: Known as India’s other
“little master” batsman of the 70s and early 80s,
this humble maestro is the brother-in-law of Sunil Gavaskar.
He had a glittering Test career, highlights of which were, 87
consecutive appearances.
An eternal stylist, he made runs on all tracks and was a supreme
square-cut specialist.
His 97 at Madras against Andy Roberts (1974/75) and century at
Lord’s (1979) is still talked about by pundits/critics/analysts
today.
One of the greatest-ever Indian batsmen.
Test Record: Matches - 91; Runs - 6,080; Average - 41.93; Highest
Score - 222; 100s - 14.
F.C. Record: Matches - 299; Runs - 17,057; Average - 40.13; Highest
Score - 247; 100s - 44.
6. FAROKH ENGINEER: Although his final victim tally of
under 90 dismissals at Test level looks strange for inclusion
in an all-time XI, and he was later, well beaten by “Balhead
dread” Syed Kirmani, Engineer gets my nod as the finest
Indian wicket-keeper to date.
A genuinely world-class gloveman, he played in England (county
cricket) with certain success.
Nicknamed “Rooky” he kept brilliantly to the great
spin quartet and was a superb batsman -- as opener he once made
96 before lunch against Hall and Griffith.
His best knock was 192 for Rest of World vs Combined XI at Hobart
in 1972.
As a keeper, he kept admirably for 18 years at first-class level,
making 13,436 runs (average 29.52) hitting 13 centuries and claimed
824 dismissals (703 caught and 121 stumped).
Test Record: Matches - 46; Runs - 2,611; Average - 31.08; Highest
Score - 121; 100s - 2; Catches - 66; Stumpings - 16.
7. KAPIL DEV: Voted India’s Cricketer of the 20th
Century, Dev emerged as his country’s greatest all-rounder
ever.
He made runs in cavalier fashion and took wickets in heaps.
As India’s best new-ball bowler he bowled tirelessly, 27,740
deliveries.
Classical, graceful, flowing and brilliant fast-medium bowler,
he once held the world record for Test wickets.
He bowled with great stamina, variation and control -- the away-swinger
and in-swinger accounting for many top-order batsmen.
A genuinely great hitter, he made over 5,000 Test runs and murdered
spinners.
His 9/83 is still the best innings analysis against the West Indies
by any world bowler.
Test Record: Matches - 131; Runs - 5,248; Average - 31.05; Highest
Score - 163; 100s - 8; Wkts. - 434; Average - 29.64; Best Bowling
- 9/83.
ODI Record: Matches - 225; Runs - 3,782; Average - 23.79; Highest
Score - 175 not out; Wkts. - 253; Average - 27.45; Best Bowling
- 5/43.
8. ANIL KUMBLE: With 836 International wickets, Kumble
is far and away India’s most prolific bowler.
One of the world’s leading wrist spinners, he
bowls off a longish run delivering fastish leg-spin and top-spin.
Not a prodigious turner of the ball, he gains bounce, movement
and turn from a high, looping action.
A proven match-winner for India, only Muralitharan, Warne and
Hadlee have taken more five- and ten-wicket hauls in Tests than
this modest man.
He is one of only two bowlers in 129 years of Test cricket to
claim all 10 wickets in one innings.
A fine late-order bat, with close to 2,000 Test runs.
Test Record: Matches - 106; Wkts. - 510; Average - 28.76; Best
Bowling - 10/74.
ODI Record: Matches - 262; Wkts. - 326; Average - 30.70; Best
Bowl-ing - 6/12.
9. JAVAGAL SRINATH: He would rate as India’s fastest
bowler of modern times, once bracketed among the world’s
top six.
Srinath is only the second Indian paceman to claim 200 Test wickets
and is the first to 300 ODI wickets.
Born in the princely state of Mysore, he was a superb, 6-foot-3-inch
genuinely quick right-arm bowler, who took 13/132 against Pakistan
in the first ATC series 1999.
Nicknamed “The Karnataka Express”, he clocked 90 m.p.h.
and took 87 wickets in his first stint at county cricket for Gloucestershire
in 1995.
His hard-hitting bat made 1,000 Test and ODI runs -- his best
being 76 at Test level.
Test Record: Matches - 67; Wkts. - 236; Average - 30.38; Best
Bowling - 8/84.
ODI Record: Matches - 229; Wkts. - 315; Average - 28.08; Best
Bowling - 5/23.
10. BISHEN BEDI: Quite frankly, Bedi remains this writer’s
dream left-arm slow bowler.
Everything about this colossal bowler was original:
his effortless sidle-up to the stumps, his classical bowling action
and unique style.
They were a sight to behold.
A matchless, fiery left-arm finger spin genius, with a subtle
concoction of spin, flight and changes of pace combined with precise
length, control and line.
He took wickets with alacrity all over the globe -- he was the
ageless magician.
It was a privilege to see him in action -- the best/finest left-arm
spin bowler I ever saw.
A sikh he took 1,547 first-class wickets (average 21.64) with
7/5 off 7.5 overs.
Test Record: Matches - 67; Wkts. - 266; Average - 28.71; Best
Bowling - 7/98.
11. BHAGWAT CHANDRASEKHAR: One member of India’s
much feared and vaunted spin celebrity quartet of the 1960s and
1970s.
It is no exaggeration to say that Chandra’s arrival on the
scene was dramatic and his rise meteoric.
Talent and potency he had in abundance, this bearded-wonder was
the world’s deadliest spin bowler in his time/era: he bowled
top-spinners and googlies at near medium pace.
He was a victim of polio -- yet proved a match-winning bowler
on all surfaces.
Sir Viv Richards said he was the most feared bowler he ever faced.
He took over 1,000 f.c. wickets.
Test Record: Matches - 58; Wickets - 242; Average - 29.74; Best
Bowling - 8/79.
