BS Chandrasekhar turns 75 on Sunday and while it will be an occasion to celebrate he will also surely look back with fond memories on his career during which he shaped numerous Indian triumphs. The famed spin quartet consisting of Chandra, Erapalli Prasanna, Bishen Bedi, and S Venkatraghavan constituted Indian cricket’s greatest era till then since for the first time India were not only winning Tests abroad but also registering series victories with all of them playing a notable part. But whatever the merits of the other three there is little doubt that Chandra was the ace in the pack. He was the leader, the spearhead and the captains used to thrust the ball in his hand with confidence knowing fully well that he could be expected to make a vital breakthrough or even rip through the batting.
Chandra played 58 Tests in a career that began in 1964 and ended in 1979. He was the second Indian bowler to take 200 wickets after Bedi and ended with 242 wickets at 29 apiece. And it must be stated immediately that the fielding was not always as excellent as it was in the 70s. During much of the 60s, the Indian fielding and catching were sub-standard and Chandra as the spearhead suffered the most.
But a stout heart made up for a fragile-looking exterior and Chandra bowled tirelessly both as a stock bowler and wicket-taker to keep India in the hunt frequently against the odds. In this regard arguably his finest performance was one heroic in defeat. At Bombay in December 1966 against the all-conquering West Indian side which boasted of a batting line-up consisting of Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Basil Butcher, and Gary Sobers Chandra had match figures of eleven for 235 even as the visitors won by six wickets. It was attacking spin bowling at its best.
As a match-winner Chandra had no equal. This is because he could send down the really unplayable ball almost at will. His mixture of leg spinners, top spinners, and googlies had batsmen in two minds – and ultimately in no frame of mind at all! His flippers would rush off the pitch to have the batsmen leg before or bowled while his googlies, hard to fathom were snapped up by the short leg fielder as the batsmen went hesitatingly forward.
Chandra’s most historic feat was, of course, his six for 38 in England’s second innings at the Oval in 1971 which helped clinch for India their maiden series triumph in that country after repeated thrashings over the years. His bowling was again instrumental in shaping India’s first win in Australia in 1977-78 when he finished with 12 for 104 – still the best match figures by an Indian in a Test abroad. And in between, there were numerous match-winning spells both at home and away. He still holds the record for most wickets in a Test series by an Indian – 35 against England in 1972-73. As a lion-hearted bowler and a match-winner Chandra’s place in Indian cricket history is secure and unchallenged.