1/10 Vinod Kambli:
He frequently threw away wickets, but when he batted, he excelled at strokeplay against the strongest bowlers. He enjoyed accepting challenges from the other team, and the games he produced as a result were enjoyable aspects of such encounters.
Kambli amassed 1084 runs with four hundred and three half-centuries in 17 Test matches. Kambli scored 9965 runs with 35 centuries and 44 fifties in 129 First-class games.
02/10 Yuvraj Singh:
Yuvraj had a reputation for providing strength to carry the ball deep into the crowd and for picking openings with deft placements. He improved his batting as he went along, but his Test record was only mediocre. Even though he played all of his career on merit and regrettably wanted to establish his mettle in the lengthier format of cricket, it remained his greatest disappointment. It would be worth paying to watch this batsman.
In 40 Test matches, Yuvraj played for India and amassed 1900 runs with three hundred and eleven half-centuries. He amassed 8965 runs with 26 centuries and 36 fifties in the 139 First-class games.
03/10 Salim Durani:
The most erratic player to ever play on the field was Durani. He may give up his wicket and use his bowling the following day to turn the tide of the match.
India made history in 1971 when he dismissed Clive Lloyd and Sir Garfield Sobers to create an exciting victory at Port of Spain. Despite playing just 29 Tests in 13 years, most captains choose to start him as their first option in their starting XI. The fact that he could consistently hit sixes made him a fan favourite.
04/10 Sourav Ganguly:
Perhaps the best left-hander Indian cricket has ever seen, and one of the best players to have ever played the sport. His spectacular century-run debut at Lord’s in 1996 was just more evidence of his abilities.
His 2003 Brisbane Test innings of 144 against Australia was every bit as fast-paced as his 1999 World Cup Taunton effort of 183 against Sri Lanka. In every situation, a captain might ask for in a game.
In 113 Test matches, the former captain of India amassed 7212 runs with 16 hundreds and 35 half-centuries. Ganguly amassed 15687 runs with 33 centuries and 89 half-centuries in 254 First-class games.
05/10 WV Raman:
His strength was his ability to swiftly adjust to challenges, so he didn’t have to worry about the playing surface. He was equally at ease attacking as he was waiting.
Coaches pointed to his amazing off-side play and footwork against the spinners as examples to follow. While his opening-day century of 83 against the West Indies in Madras in 1988 was as skilfully constructed as one could hope for, the spotlight was taken by Narendra Hirwani’s 16 wickets in that Test match. In domestic cricket, he was a feared batsman who had several memorable innings to his name.
06/10 Gautam Gambhir:
In addition to his amazing strokeplay that could light up a limited-overs match, he could also anchor the scoresheet, as he demonstrated in an incredible performance against New Zealand in Napier, where he batted 436 balls for 137 runs to help India draw the Test. He was a full-fledged batsman who should have received more recognition for his input during the match.
Gambhir amassed 4154 runs with nine hundred and twenty-two half-centuries in the 58 Test matches that he participated in. He amassed 15153 runs with 43 hundred and 68 half-centuries in 198 First-class matches.
07/10 Shikhar Dhawan:
In 2013, he had a memorable Test debut against Australia, which turned into one of the best innings in a long time.
The Australian attack was completely deflated by his 187, and the timing of his strokes was the standout aspect of the innings. He played around with the bowlers and used a variety of strokes to make a big impression on the crowd. He received a ton of plaudits for his innings, which helped him stay relevant in all cricket formats.
Dhawan amassed 2315 runs with seven hundred and five half-centuries in the 34 Test matches. The southpaw has amassed 8499 runs with 25 centuries and 29 half-centuries in 122 First-class games.
08/10 Nari Contractor:
He was regarded by his peers as an inspiration since he was one of the bravest openers in Indian history. His career, like that of Ajit Wadekar, was characterized by consistency and could not be measured by the number of hundreds he scored in Test matches. Old hands reminisce about his two elegant ninety-plus innings; his 1969 match at Delhi against the West Indies and his 1961 match at the same venue against Pakistan both scored ninety-plus runs.
In 31 Test matches, Contractor played for India and amassed 1611 runs, including one century and eleven half-centuries. With 22 hundred, he amassed 8611 runs in 138 First-class games.
09/10 Shikhar Dhawan:
The Australian attack was flattened by his 187, and the standout aspect of the innings was the timing of his strokes. With his diverse range of strokes, he played with the bowlers and made a lasting impression on the crowd. His performance earned him high appreciation and helped him maintain his relevance in all cricket formats.
Dhawan amassed 2315 runs in 34 Test matches, including seven hundred and five half-centuries. With 25 centuries and 29 half-centuries, the southpaw has amassed 8499 runs in 122 First-class games.
10/10 Ajit Wadekar:
It was amazing how well he could position himself for a draw or hook. A pleasure to watch and an entertaining batsman. His 1967 Ranji Trophy 323 match against EAS Prasanna and BS Chandrasekhar is regarded as a classic.
In 37 Test matches, Wadekar played for India and amassed 2113 runs, including one century and fourteen half-centuries. He amassed 15380 runs with 36 hundreds and 84 fifties in 237 First-class games.
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