Best Indian bowlers: The magicians of leather

Indian cricket has often been cherished for the legendary batters that they gave to the gentleman’s game. From the old generation master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag to the new era dynamos like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India’s cricketing history has been filled with a lot of great batsmen. 

However, a little faded aspect of Indian cricket is bowling. There has been no doubt that India has produced some of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game, who have constantly marked their dominance on their field. 

The debate over the best Indian bowler often remains subjective. Veteran great spinners like Anil Kumble and Ravichandran Ashwin sit at the pinnacle when it comes to wicket tally. On the other side, the raw pace and seam wizards like Jaspreet Bumrah and Zaheer Khan are also some names who redefined greatness and carved a niche for themselves. 

Let’s take a look at some of the greatest bowlers of Indian cricket who played a crucial role in the emergence of India as a cricketing powerhouse:

Anil Kumble – The Spin legend of India

Whenever there is a discussion about the best Indian bowlers who have ever graced the game, Anil Kumble will always be the hot favorite to emerge victorious. Also called ‘Jumbo’ for his good height, Kumble was not a typical leg-spinner. Though he did not possess

With the exemplary flight and turning skills of Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, he still ended his career as the fourth-highest wicket-taker of all time and the highest wicket-taker in Indian cricketing history. Kumble’s 10-wicket haul against Pakistan in 1999 is still remembered as one of the iconic bowling spells of Test cricket. 

The Bengaluru-born cricketer’s profound impact on Indian cricket stands way beyond numbers. His maturity, composure, and distinguished leadership skills make him an ultimate legend and probably one of the best in Indian cricket.   

Ravichandran Ashwin – The ultimate showman of the ball

Ravichandran Ashwin is more than just a normal off-spinner of India. A strategist, an innovator, and a smart reader of the game he is the man behind India’s dominance in Test cricket in the last decade. The second-highest wicket-taker of India, his remarkable stats of 765 wickets in 287 games are enough to define his aura on the pitch.   

More than just a wicket-taker, Ashwin has been a creative tactician who always showed a deep understanding of the game and his opponents. Some of the great batters like Ben Stokes and Steve Smith seemed clueless numerous times in front of Ashwin’s ‘carrom ball’. 

It would not be wrong to say that Ashwin redefined the role of off-spinner in the Indian team’s squad dynamics. It was the impact that he created, the Indian selectors started to give preference to off-spin all-rounders, amongst which Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are two notable names. 

3. Kapil Dev – A man ahead of his time

The leader of the Indian contingent that conquered the World Cup 1983 against all the odds, Kapil Dev, has been often remembered as the man who changed the destiny of cricket in India. Moreover, Kapil is always regarded as the introducer of swing bowling in India. 

In highly turning and spin friendly pitches of India, The former Indian captain established himself as a force to reckoned with, a big credit to his remarkable pace and seaming skills. What made him special was his ability to generate force both in the air and on the pitch. 

Kapil Dev has been more than just a cricketer. He was the personality who redefined Indian cricket with his game, impressive fitness, and charismatic leadership skills.

4. Zaheer Khan – The swing master of Indian bowling 

Today, when we look at the dominating fast-bowling setup of Indian cricket, it is impossible to ignore the legacy of Zaheer Khan. One of the most reliable and skillful pace bowlers for almost two decades, the left-arm pacer possessed a remarkable skill of swinging the ball in the air, a talent that only a few have. 

With variation as another weapon in his Arsenal, Zaheer used to completely outclass batters with his pinpointed yorkers and knuckleballs. 

His contributions to India’s triumph in the ODI World Cup 2011 will remain unforgettable. The Indian seamer produced 21 scalps throughout nine games and led the beacon of the Indian bowling contingent. 

More than just individual performances, his role in mentoring new generation pacers like Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav played a crucial role in nurturing the new spearheads of the Indian fast bowling attack, who showed their class in every corner of the globe. 

5. Jasprit Bumrah – Modern day great 

A normal height seamer with unconventional action and raw pace, Jasprit Bumrah is the name that is in the mind and talked of by every cricket lover as of now. The winner of ICC Cricketer of the Year 2024, the right-arm pacer has injected new flair and established another high benchmark in the realm of Indian pace bowling. 

Getting trained in the Mumbai Indians’ camp under the mentorship of Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga, Bumrah’s yorkers are probably the deadliest in cricket, considering modern times. 

What distinguishes him from others is his capability to switch the line, length, and pace of bowling according to the situation and format of a game. 

Bumrah’s spotlight moment came in the T20I World Cup 2024 when India won the ICC World Cup 2024 by defeating South Africa in a high-octane showdown. The Gujarat-born cricketer has been bestowed with the pride of ‘Player of the tournament’ for his high-class performances throughout the entire tournament. The right-arm bowler bagged 15 wickets throughout eight games with a mind-boggling average of 8.26.

With age still on his side, the 31-year-old possesses both time and skills to end up as one of the best bowlers of Indian cricket. Moreover, Bumrah’s name will be etched in the annals of the rich history of Indian cricket as the man who brought a revolution in the fast-bowling dynamics of Indian cricket.