On This Day, 23 August 1971 at Kennington Oval in London it was the fourth day of the final Test. England already held a 71-run first-innings lead and looked set to squeeze India into another hard-fought draw. What followed was one of the best spells of leg-spin bowling Indian cricket has ever produced. Chandrasekhar came on with the ball already a little soft and the pitch offering only little help. He did not need much as he was accurate. In the space of roughly two and a half hours he reduced England from relative comfort to absolute chaos.
He bowled a quicker one that skidded through to dismiss John Edrich. The very next ball Keith Fletcher pushed forward and Eknath Solkar, diving full length at short leg caught the ball an inch off the turf. England were 24 for 3 and the crowd had suddenly gone quiet. From there Chandrasekhar bowled a dream spell. He mixed the classical leg-break with that wicked googly and the quicker ball that skidded on. Alan Knott was dismissed with a catch by Solkar again. John Snow and Ray Illingworth both popped simple catches back to the bowler. When the last wicket fell England were all out for 101. Chandra’s figures were 18.1-3-38-6. It remains one of the greatest bowling performances by an Indian on English soil.
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India needed 173 to win their first Test in England. That evening they lost both openers cheaply, but Ajit Wadekar and Dilip Sardesai steadied the ship. By stumps India were 76 for 2 and the target suddenly was looking huge. The next day India did well and the chase was completed. Wadekar played a crucial knock of 45, Sardesai scored useful runs, and Syed Abid Ali smashed the winning runs. India finished on 174 for 6. The four-wicket victory gave them the series 1-0 and ended England’s long unbeaten run of 26 official Tests.
