For a nation starved of wins abroad, Chandra was a rare jewel: he was for long India's biggest match-winner overseas, with 42 wickets in five Tests. Batsmen didn't know quite what to expect from him and sometimes neither did Chandra himself, as he once admitted. An attack of polio in childhood left his right arm withered, but Chandra turned his handicap into an advantage. After a long, bouncing run-up, he delivered sharp googlies, spiteful topspinners and legbreaks at near medium-pace from the back of his hand with a whipping action. He could often be erratic, but no one among India's famed spin quartet was more likely to deliver an unplayable ball than Chandra. His 6 for 38 at The Oval in 1971 gave India their first series victory in England and he was instrumental in India's first win in Australia in 1978, taking 12 for 104 at Melbourne.
H Natarajan