BS Chandrasekhar, the spinner who made polio his strength

'The only thing I had was a polio arm... But I utilised it somehow. People thought I just let the ball [go] from my hand and the ball was doing the rest. That is ridiculous, I knew what I was bowling.'

Hyderabad: Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar is one of the rare international cricketers who have taken more wickets than runs scored.

Known for his match-winning skills, Chandrasekhar played cricket for India when winning Test matches abroad were almost impossible for teams from the sub-continent. It was a time when India just started winning Test matches on overseas conditions. There was no consistency in performance, but occasional wins were good enough to make those Test matches memorable.

Chandrasekhar's contribution to those rare wins gave him legendary status in the cauldron of Indian cricket. However, his story of making it to the top tier of the game made him an unforgettable figure in Indian cricket.

He rode on an inspiring journey to make a mark in international cricket.

BS Chandrasekhar played 58 Tests and took 242 wickets for India.

Born on May 17, 1945, in Mysore, Chandrasekhar's childhood was marred by polio. He was only five when he lost strength in his right arm, that very arm that he later used to deceive opposition players across the cricketing world and eventually earned himself legendary status in the echelon of international cricket.

However, it must be told that Maysore's polio-stricken boy didn't have any interest in cricket at the beginning. He was rather fond of table-tennis and badminton. He used his working left-arm to play both sports. But, he, thankfully, received therapies at the right time that gave him strength and enabled him to bring his right arm into the thick of the game.

By then his family also shifted to Bangalore (Now Bengaluru) that proved to be gamechanger for Chandrasekhar. As the boys of the city had set their base at various clubs to play cricket, the Mysore born Chandra once, unknowingly, left everyone wonderstruck by bowling a ripper. He was also stunned seeing never-seen-before applause from the senior cricketers at the City Cricketers club tent.

As the right-arm tweaker entered the unknown world of cricket, he was asked to join City Cricketers to play leather ball cricket. Soon after joining them, the young spinner slowly started making his mark in local leagues of Bengaluru.

In 1964 when he was selected for India's home series against England, he picked four wickets in the very first innings of his Test debut at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Following that impressive performance, he became an integral member of the Indian team and formed the famous spin-quartet with legends like Bishen Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan.

His magical leg-break both at home and overseas conditions continued for 15 years until he announced retirement from the game in 1979 in Birmingham playing against England, albeit in a losing cause. Though he was a leg-spinner, his delivery hardly used to turn. But he had enough variety in his top-spin and googlies to take wickets.

Despite the difficulty in his bowling arm, he would release the ball at a speed which was much faster than any other spinners.

In 58 matches, Chandrasekhar claimed 242 wickets at an average of 29.74. His performance in India's landmark victories in England and Australia played an important role in making him a legend of the game. In his entire career, he played one ODI and took three wickets.

Years after his retirement, when he was asked about the mystery of his right-arm spin bowling by The Age, the legendary spinner said, “The only thing I had was a polio arm, which is weak even now. But I utilised it somehow. People thought I just let the ball [go] from my hand and the ball was doing the rest. That is ridiculous, I knew what I was bowling."