Ranking top 5 Test spinners at the moment

Shane Warne once said, “part of the art of bowling spin is to make the batsman think something special is happening when it isn’t.” And he took 708 Test wickets, so at least we know he knew what he was saying. He along with Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble gave us some great exhibition of spin bowling in Test cricket. Considering how much limited-overs cricket the players play these days, it can’t be said that any of the current spinners will go past their records. But, it won’t be accurate to even say that the current players aren’t as effective as them. In 2021, every Test team has a couple of spinners, whom they depend on. It is crucial to understand that a spin bowler’s job is quite different in red-ball cricket to that of white-ball. They have to bowl long and exhausting spells from one end, while their captains keep rotating the pacers from the other end. Sometimes, fans even underestimate the job that spinners do. But, there is no doubt that, for becoming a successful Test team across the globe, a team must have a quality spinner in their ranks. Without further to do let us take a look at the top 5 spinners in Test cricket currently, ranked according to our team of experts 5. Shakib Al Hasan Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan. (Photo credit should read MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) The superstar from Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan, has been consistently the best all-rounder in the world for a long time. He bats, scores runs heavily, takes the ball, takes loads of wickets. Basically, if there were any great spin-bowling all-rounders in world cricket, then it is this guy. He has been consistent with the ball and has helped Bangladesh be a force to reckon with, at least in sub-continent conditions. In the 56 Test matches which he has played, the left-arm spinner has taken 210 wickets at an average of 31. His record, interestingly, is very similar if we compare away and home conditions. His average with the ball is almost identical in both scenarios. It is only a shame that Bangladesh don’t play as much Test cricket as the other teams. To give perceptive, he has played only 56 games in the past 14 years of his international career. It is not like he misses a lot of Test cricket. With the World Test Championship around, we can expect him to come one-on-one a lot more now with all the other spinners of the world. 4. Yasir Shah Yasir Shah. (Photo Source: Twitter) Yasir Shah is the only leg-spinner to feature in this list. Since Shane Warne, leg-spinners have almost ceased to exist in Test cricket. But, then came along Yasir Shah, who showed how effective classical leg-spin bowling can be with the red cherry. The 34-year-old spinner has helped Pakistan win several matches in the UAE. The leg-spinner has struggled to make inroads in overseas conditions away from the subcontinent. However, give him a little bit of rough, and he will be bowling on that all day with determination. This is the exact attitude which has helped him in England and the UAE. In his 43 Tests, he has picked up 227 wickets. He holds the record to be the quickest to reach 200 Test wickets, in terms of the number of matches being played. It is only surprising that he hasn’t played enough white-ball cricket, considering his type of bowling. 3. Ravindra Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja celebrates. (Photo Source: Getty Images) There is nothing that this man can’t do on the cricket field. His batting is solid, his bowling is on point and his fielding is possibly the best in the world. But, when he came along, everyone had seen him as a limited-overs player just for his ability to turn up on the day with the complete package to provide balance to any team. However, over the years, he has developed himself into a class-apart player in red-ball cricket. Not only this, there is no player in the current Test side that can have an impact such as his in all the departments. He has almost become invaluable for the Indian team. His records speak for his brilliance. In the 51 Tests which he has featured in, the Saurashtra all-rounder has taken 220 wickets at an average of 24.32. Not to forget the loads of runs he has scored batting down the order. His ability to bowl on a consistent area with proper line and length is something which makes an exceptional spinner and among the top three in the world. 2. Nathan Lyon Nathan Lyon. (Photo by JEREMY NG/AFP via Getty Images) After Shane Warne’s departure from international cricket, Australia found it difficult to get one spinner who can deliver consistently. As everyone knows, spinners don’t really get enough from the bouncy surfaces in Australia, but Nathan Lyon’s ability to take wickets consistently has turned him into an Aussie legend. Formerly a pitch curator in Adelaide, Lyon made his debut in 2011, the same year as Ashwin, possibly his biggest competitor. Initially, he wasn’t the star attraction in his team’s bowling unit but with time, the bowler has stood up and shown the world his capabilities as an off-spinner. Having played his 100th Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, he has picked up 397 wickets at an average of 31.92. For someone, who bowls a lot Down Under, his records are unparalleled. The fact that he becomes quite threatening when playing in spin-friendly conditions, has made him a bowler that the Australians can depend on. 1. Ravi Ashwin Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: Getty Images) There is no doubt about the fact that Ashwin is probably the most equipped spinner in Test cricket with all the tricks up his sleeves. The off-spinner from Tamil Nadu has the most prolific record in Tests currently for any spinner. In his 74 Tests, he has picked up 377 wickets at an average of 25.53. At one point, he was the No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC Test rankings. However, many experts have been critical of his record in overseas conditions. It is true that during the initial days of his career, he wasn’t the best option for conditions, which were foreign to him. But, in recent times, he has shown that he can be as effective in England or Australia like in India. The spinner is happy to play second fiddle to the pacers in overseas conditions by holding one end and not allowing the batsmen to score freely. But, in India, he is ruthless. He has run through batting line-ups with quality batsmen with his mastery of the craft that is, spin bowling.

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Ranking top 5 Test spinners at the moment

For becoming a successful Test team across the globe, a team must have a quality spinner in their ranks.

4. Yasir Shah

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