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Last edited February 17, 2026
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{{Short description|Indian Cricketer}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
Line 9: Line 10:
| death_date        =  
| death_date        =  
| death_place        =  
| death_place        =  
| nickname          =  
| nickname          = Chandra
| heightft          =
| height            = 170 cm
| heightm            =  
| batting            = Right-handed
| batting            = Right-handed
| bowling            = Legbreak
| bowling            = Legbreak
| role              =  
| role              = Bowler
| family            =
| family            =
| heightinch        =  
| heightinch        =  
| heightcm          =  
| heightcm          =  
| international      = true
| international      = true
| country            = India
| country            = India
| testcap            = 58
| testcap            = 106
| testdebutagainst  = England
| testdebutagainst  = England
| testdebutdate      = 21 January
| testdebutdate      = 21 January
Line 32: Line 31:
| odidebutdate      = 22 February
| odidebutdate      = 22 February
| odidebutyear      = 1976
| odidebutyear      = 1976
| lastodiagainst    = New Zealand
| lastodidate        = 22 February
| lastodiyear        = 1976
| odishirt          =
| odishirt          =
 
| oneodi            = true
| club1              =  
| club1              =  
| year1              =  
| year1              =  
Line 49: Line 45:
| club4              =  
| club4              =  
| clubnumber4        =
| clubnumber4        =
| columns            = 4
| columns            = 4
| column1            = [[Test Cricket|Test]]
| column1            = [[Test cricket|Test]]
| column2            = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| column2            = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| column3            = [[First Class Cricket|FC]]
| column3            = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
| column4            = [[List A Cricket|List A]]
| column4            = [[List A cricket|LA]]
| matches1          = 58
| matches1          = 58
| matches2          = 1
| matches2          = 1
Line 66: Line 61:
| bat avg2          = –
| bat avg2          = –
| bat avg3          = 4.61
| bat avg3          = 4.61
| bat avg4          = 25
| bat avg4          = 25.00
| 100s/50s1          = 0/0
| 100s/50s1          = 0/0
| 100s/50s2          = 0/0
| 100s/50s2          = 0/0
Line 84: Line 79:
| wickets4          = 8
| wickets4          = 8
| bowl avg1          = 29.74
| bowl avg1          = 29.74
| bowl avg2          = 12
| bowl avg2          = 12.00
| bowl avg3          = 24.03
| bowl avg3          = 24.03
| bowl avg4          = 38.87
| bowl avg4          = 38.87
Line 103: Line 98:
| catches/stumpings3 = 107/–
| catches/stumpings3 = 107/–
| catches/stumpings4 = 1/–
| catches/stumpings4 = 1/–
| source            = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/27591.html ESPNcricinfo
| source            = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/27591.html ESPNcricinfo
| date              = 10 November
| date              = 10 November
Line 111: Line 105:
'''Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar''' (informally '''Chandra'''; born 17 May 1945) is an Indian former [[cricket]]er who played as a [[leg spin]]ner. Considered among the top echelon of leg spinners, Chandrasekhar along with [[E.A.S. Prasanna]], [[Bishen Singh Bedi]] and [[Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan]] constituted the [[Indian spin quartet]] that dominated spin bowling during the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name=rajesh>{{cite web|title=When spin was king|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/531827.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=8 February 2014|author=S Rajesh|date=12 September 2011}}</ref> At a very young age, [[Poliomyelitis|polio]] left his right arm withered. Chandrasekhar played 58 Test matches, capturing 242 wickets at an average of 29.74 in a career that spanned sixteen years.<ref name=rajesh/> He is one of only two test cricketers in history with more wickets than total runs scored, the other being [[Chris Martin (cricketer)|Chris Martin.]]
'''Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar''' (informally '''Chandra'''; born 17 May 1945) is an Indian former [[cricket]]er who played as a [[leg spin]]ner. Considered among the top echelon of leg spinners, Chandrasekhar along with [[E.A.S. Prasanna]], [[Bishen Singh Bedi]] and [[Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan]] constituted the [[Indian spin quartet]] that dominated spin bowling during the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name=rajesh>{{cite web|title=When spin was king|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/531827.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=8 February 2014|author=S Rajesh|date=12 September 2011}}</ref> At a very young age, [[Poliomyelitis|polio]] left his right arm withered. Chandrasekhar played 58 Test matches, capturing 242 wickets at an average of 29.74 in a career that spanned sixteen years.<ref name=rajesh/> He is one of only two test cricketers in history with more wickets than total runs scored, the other being [[Chris Martin (cricketer)|Chris Martin.]]


He was awarded the [[Padmashri]] in 1972<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954-2011) |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |access-date=18 April 2013 |format=PDF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2013  }}</ref>
Chandrasekhar was awarded the [[Padmashri]] in 1972.<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954-2011) |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |access-date=18 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2013  }}</ref> He was named as a [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year|''Wisden'' Cricketer of the Year]] in 1972; in 2002 he won ''Wisden'''s award for "Best bowling performance of the century" for India, for his six wickets for 38 runs against England at the Oval in 1971.<ref name="WisdenICoC">{{cite news | url=http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2531/25310120.htm | title=This is my finest hour: Kapil Dev | work=[[The Sportstar]] Vol. 25 No. 31 | date=8 March 2002 | access-date=8 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514214418/http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2531/25310120.htm | archive-date=14 May 2006 | url-status=usurped }}</ref> He received the [[C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award]] in 2004, the highest honour bestowed by [[Board of Control for Cricket in India|BCCI]] on a former player.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=2013-12-18 |title=C.K. Nayudu award for Kapil Dev |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/ck-nayudu-award-for-kapil-dev/article5474173.ece |access-date=2023-04-25 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
 
Chandrasekhar was named as a [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year|''Wisden'' Cricketer of the Year]] in 1972; in 2002 he won Wisden's award for "Best bowling performance of the century" for India, for his six wickets for 38 runs against England at the Oval in 1971.<ref name=WisdenICoC>{{cite news | url=http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2531/25310120.htm | title=This is my finest hour: Kapil Dev | work=[[The Sportstar]] Vol. 25 No. 31 | date=8 March 2002 | access-date=8 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514214418/http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2531/25310120.htm | archive-date=14 May 2006 | url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Chandrasekhar was born in 1945 in [[Mysore]], where he had his primary education.<ref name=raggie>{{cite web|last=Muddie|first=Raggi|title=The Spin Wizard – B S Chandrashekhar|url=http://www.karnataka.com/personalities/bs-chandrashekhar/|publisher=Karnataka.com|access-date=14 April 2013|date=27 September 2011}}</ref> He developed an early interest in cricket watching the playing styles of Australian leg spinner [[Richie Benaud]]. An attack of polio at the age of six left his right arm withered. At the age of 10, his hand had recovered and Chandrasekhar started playing cricket.<ref name=raggie/>
Chandrasekhar was born in 1945 in [[Mysore]], where he had his primary education.<ref name=raggie>{{cite web|last=Muddie|first=Raggi|title=The Spin Wizard – B S Chandrashekhar|url=http://www.karnataka.com/personalities/bs-chandrashekhar/|publisher=Karnataka.com|access-date=14 April 2013|date=27 September 2011}}</ref> He developed an early interest in cricket watching the playing styles of Australian leg spinner [[Richie Benaud]]. An attack of polio at the age of six left his right arm withered. At the age of 10, his hand had recovered and Chandrasekhar started playing cricket.<ref name=raggie/>


By that time his family relocated to [[Bangalore]] and he got an opportunity to play for "City Cricketers".<ref name=raggie/> In an interview, Chandrasekhar stated that he joined up mainly to get a chance to play with the leather ball.<ref name=raggie/> While playing on the streets of Bangalore, he had mainly used a rubber ball. While playing for the club, Chandrasekhar tried different bowling styles that also included fast bowling.<ref name=raggie/> It was in 1963 that he decided to play as a leg spin bowler. His idea proved to be right as he was soon selected for the national side.<ref name=raggie/>
By that time his family relocated to [[Bangalore]] and he got an opportunity to play for "City Cricketers".<ref name=raggie/> In an interview, Chandrasekhar stated that he joined up mainly to get a chance to play with the leather ball.<ref name=raggie/> While playing on the streets of Bangalore, he had mainly used a rubber ball. While playing for the club, Chandrasekhar tried different bowling styles that also included fast bowling.<ref name=raggie/> It was in 1963 that he decided to play as a leg spin bowler. His idea proved to be right as he was soon selected for the national team.<ref name=raggie/>


Making his Test debut for India against England at Bombay in 1964, he collected four wickets in the match. He was named the ''[[Indian Cricket (annual)|Indian Cricket]]'' Cricketer of the Year the same year. Chandrasekhar was influential in setting up India's first victory in England when he picked up six wickets for 38 runs at [[The Oval]] in 1971; the bowling was named the "Indian Bowling performance of the century" by ''Wisden'' in 2002.<ref name=profile>{{cite web|title=Players / India / Bhagwath Chandrasekhar|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/27591.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=14 April 2013|author=H Natarajan}}</ref> ''Wisden'' noted that, "[Chandrasekhar] was wonderfully accurate for a bowler of his type, and his extra pace made him a formidable proposition even on the sluggish Oval pitch."<ref name=martin>{{cite web|last=Williamson|first=Martin|title=India's day of glory|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/527248.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=14 April 2013|date=13 August 2011}}</ref> His consistent bowling performances in 1971 earned him being named one of the five ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'' [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year|Cricketers of the Year]] in 1972.<ref name=profile/>
Making his Test debut for India against England at Bombay in 1964, he collected four wickets in the match. He was named the ''[[Indian Cricket (annual)|Indian Cricket]]'' Cricketer of the Year the same year. Chandrasekhar was influential in setting up India's first victory in England when he picked up six wickets for 38 runs at [[The Oval]] in 1971; the bowling was named the "Indian Bowling performance of the century" by ''Wisden'' in 2002.<ref name=profile>{{cite web|title=Players / India / Bhagwath Chandrasekhar|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/27591.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=14 April 2013|author=H Natarajan}}</ref> ''Wisden'' noted that he was "wonderfully accurate for a bowler of his type, and his extra pace made him a formidable proposition even on the sluggish Oval pitch."<ref name=martin>{{cite web|last=Williamson|first=Martin|title=India's day of glory|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/527248.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=14 April 2013|date=13 August 2011}}</ref> His consistent bowling performances in 1971 earned him being named one of the five ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'' [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year|Cricketers of the Year]] in 1972.<ref name=profile/>


In a Test against New Zealand in 1976, Chandrasekhar and Prasanna took 19 wickets and were crucial in setting up India's win. Attributed to him is a famous umpire-directed quote, made during a day of bad decisions in New Zealand after several of his [[leg before wicket|lbw]] appeals were given not out: "I know he is bowled, but is he out?"<ref>{{citation | url=http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=129115 |title=India's Aussie tour: Sissy Australians and dumb umpires | periodical=Merinews | date=6 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{citation | url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/1999/oct/23dilip.htm | title=Nothing to Crowe about | author=Dilip Vengsarkar | periodical=Rediff | date=23 October 1999}}</ref> Chandrasekhar also played a major role in India's victory in Australia in 1977–78.<ref name=rajesh/> During that series he became the first bowler in test history to register the identical figures in a same test (6 for 52 in both innings).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/steve-okeefe-turns-india-australia-test-into-a-cricket-statisticians-delight-580461|title=Steve O’Keefe turns India-Australia Test into a cricket statistician’s delight|last=Kumar|first=Abhishek|date=25 February 2017|work=Cricket Country|access-date=29 March 2017|language=en-us}}</ref>
In a Test against New Zealand in 1976, Chandrasekhar and Prasanna took 19 wickets and were crucial in setting up India's win. Attributed to him is a famous umpire-directed quote, made during a day of bad decisions in New Zealand after several of his [[leg before wicket|lbw]] appeals were given not out: "I know he is bowled, but is he out?"<ref>{{citation | url=http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=129115 | title=India's Aussie tour: Sissy Australians and dumb umpires | periodical=Merinews | date=6 January 2008 | access-date=26 August 2009 | archive-date=9 November 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109001955/http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=129115 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{citation | url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/1999/oct/23dilip.htm | title=Nothing to Crowe about | author=Dilip Vengsarkar | periodical=Rediff | date=23 October 1999}}</ref> Chandrasekhar also played a major role in India's victory in Australia in 1977–78.<ref name=rajesh/> During that series he became the first bowler to register identical figures in each innings of a test (6 for 52).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/steve-okeefe-turns-india-australia-test-into-a-cricket-statisticians-delight-580461|title=Steve O'Keefe turns India-Australia Test into a cricket statistician's delight|last=Kumar|first=Abhishek|date=25 February 2017|work=Cricket Country|access-date=29 March 2017|language=en-us}}</ref>


Chandrasekhar had minimal batting skills, finishing with a Test average of 4.07.<ref name="Beard">{{cite book |title=Ask Bearders |last=Frindall  |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Frindall |year=2009 |publisher=[[BBC Books]]|isbn=978-1-84607-880-4 |pages=44–45 }}<!--|access-date=11 June 2011--></ref> He was given a special Gray-Nicholls bat during the [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 1977–78|1977–78 Australian tour]] with a hole in it to commemorate the four ducks he scored,<ref>{{cite news|last=Hanon|first=Peter|title=Polio clean bowled|url=http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/polio-clean-bowled-20111111-1nbil.html|access-date=18 April 2013|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=12 November 2011}}</ref> and he has 23 Test ducks to his credit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Records / Test matches / Batting records / Most ducks in career|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283087.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=18 April 2013}}</ref> He also holds the dubious distinction of scoring fewer runs (167) off his bat than wickets (242) taken in Test cricket;<ref name="Beard"/> the only other cricketer with this distinction over a significant Test career is [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]] fast bowler [[Chris Martin (cricketer)|Chris Martin]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hughes' familiar problem, and Steyn's wickets|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/546146.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=18 April 2013|author=Steven Lynch|date=20 December 2011}}</ref>
Chandrasekhar had minimal batting skills, finishing with a Test average of 4.07.<ref name="Beard">{{cite book |title=Ask Bearders |last=Frindall  |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Frindall |year=2009 |publisher=[[BBC Books]]|isbn=978-1-84607-880-4 |pages=44–45 }}<!--|access-date=11 June 2011--></ref> He was given a special Gray-Nicholls bat during the [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 1977–78|1977–78 Australian tour]] with a hole in it to commemorate the four ducks he scored,<ref>{{cite news|last=Hanon|first=Peter|title=Polio clean bowled|url=http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/polio-clean-bowled-20111111-1nbil.html|access-date=18 April 2013|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=12 November 2011}}</ref> and he has 23 Test ducks to his credit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Records / Test matches / Batting records / Most ducks in career|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283087.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=18 April 2013}}</ref> He also holds the dubious distinction of scoring fewer runs (167) off his bat than wickets (242) taken in Test cricket;<ref name="Beard"/> the only other cricketer with this distinction over a significant Test career is [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]] fast bowler [[Chris Martin (cricketer)|Chris Martin]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hughes' familiar problem, and Steyn's wickets|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/546146.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=18 April 2013|author=Steven Lynch|date=20 December 2011}}</ref>
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* ''[[Indian Cricket (annual)|Indian Cricket]]'' Cricketer of the Year in 1964
* ''[[Indian Cricket (annual)|Indian Cricket]]'' Cricketer of the Year in 1964
* [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|''Wisden'' Cricketers of the Year]] in 1972
* [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|''Wisden'' Cricketers of the Year]] in 1972
* [[Padmashri]] in 1972<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954-2011) |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |access-date=18 April 2013 |format=PDF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2013  }}</ref>
* [[Padmashri]] in 1972<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954-2011) |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |access-date=18 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2013  }}</ref>
* [[Arjuna Award]] in 1972<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Arjuna Award Winners |url=http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm |publisher=[[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports]] |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225221945/http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm |archive-date=25 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Arjuna Award]] in 1972<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Arjuna Award Winners |url=http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm |publisher=[[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports]] |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225221945/http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm |archive-date=25 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award|C. K. Nayudu Award]] in 2004<ref name=":5" />


==See also==
==See also==
Line 140: Line 133:
==External links==
==External links==
* {{ESPNcricinfo|id=27591}}
* {{ESPNcricinfo|id=27591}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/91043.html|date=18 May 2000|title =Chandra: The man who made the 'King' his bunny|author=S Jagadish}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/91043.html|date=18 May 2000|title =Chandra: The man who made the 'King' his bunny|author=S Jagadish|work=Cricinfo }}
*{{cite web|url=https://www.lords.org/lords/our-history/honours-boards/b-s-chandrasekhar/5-127|title =Leg spinner Chandrasekhar: bowled a marathon spell of 53 overs to pick up figures of 5-127, playing a major role in bowling England out for 386.}}


{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
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[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:People with polio]]

Latest revision as of 01:51, 17 February 2026


B. S. Chandrasekhar
Personal information
Full nameBhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar
Born (1945-05-17) 17 May 1945 (age 81)
Mysore, Kingdom of Mysore, British India
NicknameChandra
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLegbreak
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 106)21 January 1964 v England
Last Test12 July 1979 v England
Only ODI (cap 20)22 February 1976 v New Zealand
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 58 1 246 7
Runs scored 167 11 600 25
Batting average 4.07 4.61 25.00
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0
Top score 22 11* 25 14*
Balls bowled 15,963 56 53,817 420
Wickets 242 3 1,063 8
Bowling average 29.74 12.00 24.03 38.87
5 wickets in innings 16 0 75 0
10 wickets in match 2 0 19 0
Best bowling 8/79 3/36 9/72 4/61
Catches/stumpings 25/– 0/– 107/– 1/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 10 November 2014

Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar (informally Chandra; born 17 May 1945) is an Indian former cricketer who played as a leg spinner. Considered among the top echelon of leg spinners, Chandrasekhar along with E.A.S. Prasanna, Bishen Singh Bedi and Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan constituted the Indian spin quartet that dominated spin bowling during the 1960s and 1970s.[1] At a very young age, polio left his right arm withered. Chandrasekhar played 58 Test matches, capturing 242 wickets at an average of 29.74 in a career that spanned sixteen years.[1] He is one of only two test cricketers in history with more wickets than total runs scored, the other being Chris Martin.

Chandrasekhar was awarded the Padmashri in 1972.[2] He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1972; in 2002 he won Wisden's award for "Best bowling performance of the century" for India, for his six wickets for 38 runs against England at the Oval in 1971.[3] He received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, the highest honour bestowed by BCCI on a former player.[4]

Biography[edit | edit source]

Chandrasekhar was born in 1945 in Mysore, where he had his primary education.[5] He developed an early interest in cricket watching the playing styles of Australian leg spinner Richie Benaud. An attack of polio at the age of six left his right arm withered. At the age of 10, his hand had recovered and Chandrasekhar started playing cricket.[5]

By that time his family relocated to Bangalore and he got an opportunity to play for "City Cricketers".[5] In an interview, Chandrasekhar stated that he joined up mainly to get a chance to play with the leather ball.[5] While playing on the streets of Bangalore, he had mainly used a rubber ball. While playing for the club, Chandrasekhar tried different bowling styles that also included fast bowling.[5] It was in 1963 that he decided to play as a leg spin bowler. His idea proved to be right as he was soon selected for the national team.[5]

Making his Test debut for India against England at Bombay in 1964, he collected four wickets in the match. He was named the Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year the same year. Chandrasekhar was influential in setting up India's first victory in England when he picked up six wickets for 38 runs at The Oval in 1971; the bowling was named the "Indian Bowling performance of the century" by Wisden in 2002.[6] Wisden noted that he was "wonderfully accurate for a bowler of his type, and his extra pace made him a formidable proposition even on the sluggish Oval pitch."[7] His consistent bowling performances in 1971 earned him being named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1972.[6]

In a Test against New Zealand in 1976, Chandrasekhar and Prasanna took 19 wickets and were crucial in setting up India's win. Attributed to him is a famous umpire-directed quote, made during a day of bad decisions in New Zealand after several of his lbw appeals were given not out: "I know he is bowled, but is he out?"[8][9] Chandrasekhar also played a major role in India's victory in Australia in 1977–78.[1] During that series he became the first bowler to register identical figures in each innings of a test (6 for 52).[10]

Chandrasekhar had minimal batting skills, finishing with a Test average of 4.07.[11] He was given a special Gray-Nicholls bat during the 1977–78 Australian tour with a hole in it to commemorate the four ducks he scored,[12] and he has 23 Test ducks to his credit.[13] He also holds the dubious distinction of scoring fewer runs (167) off his bat than wickets (242) taken in Test cricket;[11] the only other cricketer with this distinction over a significant Test career is New Zealand fast bowler Chris Martin.[14]

Honours and recognitions[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 S Rajesh (12 September 2011). "When spin was king". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  2. "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2011)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  3. "This is my finest hour: Kapil Dev". The Sportstar Vol. 25 No. 31. 8 March 2002. Archived from the original on 14 May 2006. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "C.K. Nayudu award for Kapil Dev". The Hindu. 18 December 2013. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Muddie, Raggi (27 September 2011). "The Spin Wizard – B S Chandrashekhar". Karnataka.com. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  6. 6.0 6.1 H Natarajan. "Players / India / Bhagwath Chandrasekhar". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  7. Williamson, Martin (13 August 2011). "India's day of glory". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  8. "India's Aussie tour: Sissy Australians and dumb umpires", Merinews, 6 January 2008, archived from the original on 9 November 2020, retrieved 26 August 2009
  9. Dilip Vengsarkar (23 October 1999), "Nothing to Crowe about", Rediff
  10. Kumar, Abhishek (25 February 2017). "Steve O'Keefe turns India-Australia Test into a cricket statistician's delight". Cricket Country. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Frindall, Bill (2009). Ask Bearders. BBC Books. pp. 44–45. ISBN 978-1-84607-880-4.
  12. Hanon, Peter (12 November 2011). "Polio clean bowled". The Age. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  13. "Records / Test matches / Batting records / Most ducks in career". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  14. Steven Lynch (20 December 2011). "Hughes' familiar problem, and Steyn's wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  15. "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2011)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  16. "List of Arjuna Award Winners". Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2013.

External links[edit | edit source]