The day a Billion Indians Cheered the name 'Chandra'!

I must admit there are few in the game that I love more than Bhagwath Chandrasehkhar.I saw him live At the MCG admittedly against an Aussie line up weakened by Packers WSC instigate India’s first win on Australian soil in 1977/8.This leg spinner was truly remarkable for what he overcame in life,in reference to the polio that withered his right arm in early childhood.Though this was his strength for he was like a cobra in the sense of his unpredictability.He could be erratic or he could have the cobra’s strike with his lethal top spinners,leg breaks and googly’s delivered at near medium pace.This in mind it’s a typically gloomy summers day in 1971 and the English are hosting the Indian’s at the Oval with the 3 test series tied.The English side lead by the astute Ray Illingworth at the time hadn’t been beaten for over 3 years and 26 tests.The bowling for England was particularly brutal with greats Like ‘Deadly’ Derek Underwood and John Snow.The batting to was very accomplished and behind the stumps they had the cricketer of the year in Alan Knott.The English after the first innings was completed by both teams were ahead by 71 runs which was seen as key with India batting last and the name of the ominous ‘Deadly’ Derek Underwood in the English bowling ranks.Though no one told this exceptional gent from Karnataka! The cobra reference was so relevant here with ‘Chandra’ striking at the English batsmen who were true cannon fodder for his brutal fire.Admittedly for any Indian spinner they had an arch angel in the form of Eknath ‘Ekky’ Solkar fielding in close who was akin to the Bradman of close in fieldsmen.The venom of Bhagwath’s bowling was such that when he dismissed the last Englishman,Price he had the remarkable figures of 6/38 and had ripped the English to shreds dismissing them for 101.

Though still the Indians had to get 174 on a wearing pitch against a very fine English attack and when the Indian rock Gavaskar fell for a duck there were tremors.Though no one was going to deprive Chandrasekhar of this moment and after contributions from ‘Vishy’,Wadekar and Sadesai and an unbeaten 28 by the grossly underrated Farook Engineer the Indian’s won there first series on English soil!As I sat in my flat in Derry listening to this on the BBC I could imagine the euphoria in India….

The great people of this fine nation full of patriotism due to the man affectionately nicknamed ‘Chandra’