From Jim Laker and Derek Underwood to Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne: spinners have occupied a special place in cricket history as prolific wicket-takers.
They might not possess the breathtaking pace of the fast bowlers, but spinners have the ability to absolutely run through batting line-ups when the conditions are in their favour.
Modern cricket has seen the role of spinners evolve considerably, with different formats of the game demanding specialised roles from the slower bowlers. Very rarely do spinners now play all three formats and are largely shoehorned as specialists for a particular format.
We have attempted to rank the eight best spinners in the Test format currently by dividing them into four separate tiers. Performances since the turn of 2018 have been given greater consideration for this purpose.
TIER 4
Ajaz Patel (New Zealand)
As a late entrant to Test cricket, Ajaz Patel made his New Zealand debut in November, 2019 in Abu Dhabi. It was a superb introduction to international cricket for Patel, with his left-armed orthodox spin accounting for 13 wickets in a historic series win for the Kiwis.
New Zealand’s strength has clearly been their pace attack and the lack of a specialist spinner has been evident since the retirement of Daniel Vettori. Mitchell Santner was tried in the role without much success and it is Patel who is looking most likely to fill Vettori’s boots in the years to come. Having come into the New Zealand squad on the back of a strong first-class record, the spinner has shown some good things while helping himself to 22 wickets in eight appearances.
Though he might not be an effective wicket-taking option on the pacey wickets of New Zealand, Patel’s style works well on the slower wickets of the subcontinent.
Moeen Ali (England)
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has made quite the impression in four Test appearances so far, but the small sample size of his red-ball displays sees Moeen Ali pip him to the spot in the fourth tier. While Moeen has not featured in the format since being dropped for Jack Leach in the 2019 Ashes series, his numbers over the last few years are still enough to earn him a place among the top eight spinners.
His role as a spin all-rounder goes works to his own detriment at times, though Moeen’s past performances should deem him to be good enough to get into the side as a specialist spinner. In 12 Tests since the start of 2018, the off-spinner has grabbed 50 wickets at an average of less than 29.
That his wicket-tally in the same period is more than that of Ravindra Jadeja and Yasir Shah is testament to Moeen’s prowess as a specialist spinner. He was sensational for England in their away series win in Sri Lanka and had some good moments in the 2018 home demolition of India. Three poor Tests against Australia proved to be Moeen’s undoing, although he is now back in the mix of things for the upcoming series against West Indies.
TIER 3
Keshav Maharaj (South Africa)
Playing most of his cricket on the unhelpful pitches of South Africa makes Keshav Maharaj’s numbers look flat, but statistics do not tell the entire story of the southpaw’s efficiency. Among spinners from outside the subcontinent, only Nathan Lyon has picked up more wickets than Maharaj since 2018.
Despite playing the majority of his cricket on pitches not favourable to his style of bowling, Maharaj has managed to hold his own among the world’s best. The South African has claimed 54 wickets in 16 Tests during the period, including a career-best haul of 9-129 in Sri Lanka.
His five-wicket hauls against Australia and England on South African soil prove his ability to extract the maximum from pitches which have been curated to aid pacers. Maharaj does not possess many variations and is built like a classical left-arm spinner. However, his excellent control over flight and subtle changes of pace make him an enterprising spinner for all conditions.
Taijul Islam (Bangladesh)
With Shakib Al Hasan’s one-year suspension keeping him out of the game, Taijul Islam has been the man spearheading Bangladesh’s spin charge. While most of his appearances in the period have come against the likes of Zimbabwe and West Indies, Islam’s returns of 60 wickets in 11 Tests is noteworthy.
Four times has the left-armed spinner grabbed a five-wicket haul since 2018, including a superb 6-33 against the West Indies in Chattogram (2018).
A bowling average of less than 30 in the past two years or so is a respectable return from the 28-year-old. He is one of many left-armed spinners on the circuit currently, although it will be interesting to see if he keeps his spot after Shakib makes his return.
Nevertheless, Islam remains an underrated spinner whose performances often go under the radar.
TIER 2
Ravindra Jadeja (India)
Ravindra Jadeja might divide opinions among Indians fans on his suitability for the limited-overs formats, but his Test credentials remain unquestionable.
Irrespective of the conditions, Jadeja guarantees consistency every time he takes up the bowling duties. His unwavering accuracy is his greatest strength and he can be extremely different for batsmen to navigate when the pitch offers some turn and bounce.
Since 2018, the southpaw has amassed 48 wickets in 14 appearances for India at an average of 27.68. Despite not claiming a single five-wicket haul during the same period, Jadeja’s incredible consistency has ensured that his tally has continued to swell.
His adaptability has even seen him dislodge Ravichandran Ashwin as India’s lone spinner for overseas Tests and his batting abilities down the order are always a welcome addition.
Yasir Shah (Pakistan)
The Pakistan man is the sole wrist-spinner in this list and he finds himself in the second tier despite some chastening displays of late.
On his day and in conditions which aid spin, Shah can be completely unplayable. His 14-wicket match-haul against New Zealand in Dubai (2018) is just one of many instances when the leggie spun a web around the opposition.
However, figures of 0-197 in the Adelaide Test against Australia last year tells a story of a bowler who has declined significantly. His average since the start of 2018 is not a commanding one at 34.22, though the Pakistan stalwart is still capable of weaving his magic when the stars align perfectly.
He will hope to take inspiration from his previous showings in the country as Pakistan currently undertake a tour of England.
TIER 1
Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
The reports of the India ace’s demise are greatly exaggerated, with Ravi Ashwin continuing to go strong in the past few years. While it is true that he is most lethal in India’s own backyard, Ashwin;s intelligence and variations allows him to be a threat in nearly every Test playing nation.
Only Lyon has picked up more wickets than Ashwin since the turn of 2019, although the Indian’s bowling average of 25.34 during the period is significantly better than the Aussie’s.
Ashwin has been the key to India’s domination at home, though Virat Kohli’s men are increasingly starting to depend on their pace riches. While some question marks still remain over Ashwin’s ability to lead the line for India abroad, no other spinner comes close to him when it comes to making the most of home comforts.
At 33, the off-spinner still has a few years of cricket left in him.
Nathan Lyon (Australia)
Lyon’s journey from a temporary groundskeeper to Australia’s leading spinner has been quite the fairytale, and he only seems to be getting better with age.
Since the turn of 2018, Lyon’s tally of 104 Test scalps is 43 more than his nearest competitor (Ashwin). Though his average is still a touch above 30 in the same period, the fact that he plays the majority of cricket on Australian pitches has to be taken into consideration.
In the aforementioned time span, Lyon has claimed five-wicket hauls in Australia on five separate occasions. He also picked up an impressive 6-69 in Birmingham in last year’s Ashes, although he will still be haunted by his reprieve to Ben Stokes in Headingley.
As far as all-conditions spinners in Test cricket goes, it is hard to look beyond Lyon. He ability to both attack and defend make him the perfect foil to a formidable pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
