Sporting icons : BS Chandrasekhar - Career achievements & video of India's leg spin meastro

 

Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar, often referred to as B. S. Chandrasekhar, was born on May 17, 1945, in Mysore, Karnataka, India. He is renowned for his unique and highly effective leg-spin bowling. Despite being affected by polio in his right arm at a young age, which left it withered, Chandrasekhar turned this into an advantage, using the condition to impart extra spin and variation to his deliveries, making him one of the most unpredictable and challenging bowlers of his era.

 Style of Bowling

Chandrasekhar was a leg-spinner, but his style was quite unorthodox compared to traditional leg-spin bowling. Key characteristics of his bowling included:

1. **Deceptive Flight and Spin**: He used a combination of leg-breaks, googlies, and top-spinners with varying flight to deceive batsmen.

2. **Speed and Bounce**: He bowled quicker through the air than most spinners, which, coupled with his unique wrist action, generated unexpected bounce and pace.

3. **Unpredictability**: His deliveries were difficult to read, making it hard for batsmen to anticipate the spin and trajectory.

### Career Achievements

Chandrasekhar had a distinguished career, primarily in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of his notable achievements include:

1. **Test Cricket**: He played 58 Test matches for India from 1964 to 1979, taking 242 wickets at an average of 29.74. His best bowling figures in an innings were 8 for 79 against England in 1972.

2. **Part of the Spin Quartet**: Chandrasekhar was a member of India's famous spin quartet, which included Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. This quartet was instrumental in many of India's Test victories during that period.

3. **Memorable Performances**:

   - In the 1977-78 series against Australia, Chandrasekhar took 6 for 52 in both the 1st and the second innings of the third Test in Melbourne, leading India to their first-ever Test win in Australia and himself taking 12 wickets in the match . 

   - In the 1971 series in England, his match-winning spell of 6 for 38 at The Oval helped India secure their first Test and series victory in England.

4. **Awards and Honors**: Chandrasekhar received several accolades during and after his playing career. He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1972. In recognition of his contribution to cricket, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1972.

Chandrasekhar's legacy in cricket is characterized by his resilience, innovation, and the significant role he played in some of India's historic Test victories. His ability to turn adversity into an advantage remains an inspiring story in the annals of cricket history.

In the below video , watch Chandra taking 4/30 vs Australia at Sydney  1978