Mastering leg spin bowling is difficult, as even a tiny mistake can make matters worse for a wrist spinner.
But the gentleman’s game has witnessed some crafty leggies who showcased great control over the ball and bagged heaps of wickets.
Here, we’ll glance at the 5 best leg spinners in cricket history.
Shane Warne
When one speaks of leg spin bowling, the first name that pops up is that of Shane Warne. The legendary Australian wrist spinner was the flagbearer of leg spin when it was on the decline in his era.
Warne could generate an enormous turn with the ball, and his ‘ball of the century’ to Mike Gatting is proof of that. He had plenty of variations up his sleeve: wrong’un, flipper, slider, zooter, and obviously, leg break.
When Warne started his Test career with figures of 1 for 150, few would have thought he would have a great career. But Warne made a quick turnaround to become the mainstay of Australia’s bowling attack.
Warne racked up 708 wickets in 145 Tests — second-most by a bowler in the format — and 293 wickets in 194 ODIs.
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble’s career ran parallel with Shane Warne. The former Indian tweaker didn’t turn the ball to a great extent like his compatriots. Rather, he stuck to accurate lines and lengths to get the better of the batters.
Many thought Kumble wouldn’t find success, but he proved everyone wrong with his never say die attitude, which was visible in his performances. And how can one forget his brave spell with a broken jaw in the 2002 Antigua Test?
Kumble fetched a lot of wickets with his variations in flight, along with using googly and side spin. He turned up for India in 132 Tests, bagging 619 wickets and taking 337 wickets in 271 ODIs — the most by an Indian bowler in the format.
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Abdul Qadir
Before the emergence of Shane Warne, the art of leg spin found its gatekeeper in Abdul Qadir. The former Pakistani spinner kept the wrist spin alive in his playing days between 1977 and 1993.
Qadir had different variations in his arsenal, often ready to bowl 6 different deliveries in an over. He even had 2 variations of googly, which were his lethal weapons.
Qadir bagged 236 wickets in 67 Tests and 132 wickets in 104 ODIs for Pakistan. His craftiness with the ball placed him among the finest leg-spinners.
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar
BS Chandrasekhar carved himself a place despite his right arm being infected with polio in childhood. He was often unpredictable with his craft, leaving batters amused.
Chandrasekhar bowled leg breaks, googlies, and topspinners with much finesse backed by ample pace. He was a boon for the Indian team in overseas conditions, contributing to winning causes in some memorable matches with his performances.
Chandrasekhar turned up for India in 58 Tests and grabbed 242 wickets at an average of close to 30.
Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud donned many hats on the field as well as off it. From an able all-rounder to a respected cricket commentator, he left his mark everywhere.
But Benaud was equally the best leg-spinner going around in his playing days. He was full of variations with the ball which helped him mint many wickets.
Benaud claimed 248 wickets in 63 Test matches while donning the baggy green for Australia.
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