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XtraTime Web Desk: Bhagwat Chandrasekhar was part of that famed spin quartet (Bishen Singh Bedi, EAS Prasanna and Srinivasarahgavan Venkataraghavan) for India during the 60s and 70s. Affectionately called Chandra by his teammates, he turned out to be the biggest match winner for India during his time. One of India’s greatest leg spinners was born on this day in Mysore in 1945.

Chandrasekhar was diagnosed with poliomyelitis or polio , at a young age of 5 years. It was due to this reason his right arm remained withered but that did not stop him from bowling. In fact he went on to use his withered right arm to deadly effect as batsmen found it extremely difficult to tackle his top spinners which were no less than medium pace.

Chandrasekhar grew an interest for cricket watching the great Richie Benaud who bowled leg spin. He also started bowling leg spin when he was 10 years old. He got an opportunity to play for ‘City Cricketers’ club in Bangalore after his family shifted to the Garden City. He joined the club mainly to get a chance to play with the leather ball as he was used to playing on the streets of Bangalore with a rubber ball.
He got a big break when he was 19 years old as he was picked for the test match against England at Bombay. He came into prominence with his first five wicket haul against the West Indies in 1966.

Chandrasekhar’s biggest moment of his career came during the 1971 tour of England. He took 6 for 38 to help India register its first series win in England at The Oval. People still talk about the pace with which he bowled to dismiss John Edrich at The Oval. By the time Edrich brought his bat down the stumps were shattered. Chandra named the delivery ‘Mill Reef’ (a horse that won the Derby that summer in England).
It was this performance that earned him Wisden’s Indian bowling performance of the century award in 2002.

Chandrasekhar was also instrumental in India’s first win in Australia in 1978 when he took 12-104 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Some of the best performances by Chandra were on overseas conditions. India won five of the 14 test matches away from home during his time. He took 42 wickets in these five Tests. His exploits on the home turf is also remembered fondly. He spun a web against the West Indies batsmen during the Eden Gardens test match in 1973.

Chandrasekhar ended up taking 242 wickets in 58 Tests at an average of 29.74, with a strike rate of 65.9 balls per wicket.
Another interesting fact about Chandra was his absolute ineptness with the bat. He could only manage to score 167 runs in his test career at an average of 4.07 including 23 ducks. It was for this effort with the bat the Australians presented him with a Gray-Nicholls bat with a hole scooped out in the centre.

Chandra remains the most affectionately remembered and one of the most dangerous leg spinners to represent India.