B. S. Chandrasekhar

Overview

Bhagwath Subramanya Chandrasekhar, popularly known as B. S. Chandrasekhar or simply Chandra, is a former Indian cricketer regarded as one of the finest leg-spin bowlers in the history of the game. Bowling at a brisker pace than most leg-spinners, he formed a famous part of the Indian spin quartet of the late 1960s and 1970s along with Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. He is celebrated for his role in some of India's most memorable Test victories abroad, particularly against England and the West Indies in 1971.

Key facts

Background

Chandrasekhar was born in Mysore in 1945. As a young child he contracted poliomyelitis, which left his right arm withered. Rather than hindering his cricket, the affected arm gave his bowling action an unusual whippy snap, allowing him to deliver leg-breaks, googlies and top-spinners at a pace closer to medium than to conventional wrist-spin. He developed his cricket in Bangalore and represented Mysore (later renamed Karnataka) in domestic cricket, in the Ranji Trophy.

Career

Early career and Test debut

Chandrasekhar made a rapid rise through Mysore's domestic ranks and was picked for India in 1964 against M. J. K. Smith's visiting English side, having played only a handful of first-class matches. He took wickets in his very first season, establishing himself as India's leading wrist-spinner.

Peak years

His career peaked in the early 1970s. On India's tour of England in 1971, Chandrasekhar produced one of the most celebrated bowling performances in Indian cricket history at The Oval, taking six wickets in England's second innings to bowl them out cheaply and set up India's first ever Test series victory in England, under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar.

He was equally effective at home, dismantling visiting sides on Indian pitches, and toured Australia in 1977–78 where he again took bagfuls of wickets. He repeatedly took five-wicket hauls in Test matches and was for a long period the leading Indian wicket-taker in Test cricket.

Style

Chandrasekhar's bowling was unorthodox. He bowled at a faster pace than most spinners, relied heavily on the googly and top-spinner rather than the conventional leg-break, and was a difficult bowler to read because of the speed and bounce he extracted. His batting was famously limited; he is often cited as having more Test wickets than runs.

Retirement

He retired from international cricket in the late 1970s. His final Test series was in Pakistan in 1978–79.

Honours and recognition

• Padma Shri – conferred by the Government of India for his contribution to cricket.
• Arjuna Award – awarded by the Government of India for outstanding sporting achievement.
• Indian Cricketer of the Year by the Cricket Club of India.
• Frequently listed among Wisden's notable cricketers and ranked highly in retrospective lists of great spin bowlers.

Significance

Chandrasekhar's career is significant for several reasons. He was central to India's transition into a side capable of winning Test matches and series overseas, breaking the long-standing perception that Indian teams were only competitive at home. Together with Bedi, Prasanna and Venkataraghavan, he made spin bowling India's principal attacking weapon at a time when most Test nations relied on pace. His personal story, of overcoming polio to become a world-class athlete, has remained an enduring example in Indian sporting memory.

Related topics

• Indian spin quartet
• Bishan Singh Bedi
• Erapalli Prasanna
• Srinivas Venkataraghavan
• Ajit Wadekar
• Karnataka cricket team
• India national cricket team
• India in England in 1971
• Padma Shri
• Arjuna Award

References

• Wikidata entry: Q2766870
• Records and scorecards available through cricket statistical archives such as ESPNcricinfo and CricketArchive.
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, various editions covering the 1964–1979 period.