Indian spin quartet
Encyclopedia
The Indian spin quartet is the collective name given to the Indian spin bowlers of the 1960s and 70s: Erapalli Prasanna
and Srinivas Venkataraghavan (both off spin
ners), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
(a leg spin
ner), and Bishen Singh Bedi (a left-arm spinner
). Between them, they played 231 Test matches
taking 853 wickets. They were one of the most deadly combinations in world cricket, especially on the dusty subcontinental pitches.
The spin quartet was instrumental in producing many Indian Test
victories. However, the four hardly played together in the same match - in fact, there was only one match in which all four of them were in the Starting XI. Due to team restrictions, often either Prasanna or Venkataraghavan was left out in order to accommodate the others. However, these four men contributed greatly for some of India's greatest triumphs, including Test series victories in the West Indies and England, as well as Test victories in Australia
and New Zealand
.
In 2004, the Board of Control for Cricket in India
conferred on them the CK Nayudu award, named after India's first Test captain.
E. A. S. Prasanna
Erapalli Anantharao Srinivas Prasanna is a famous former cricket player from Bangalore, India. He was a spin bowler, specializing in off spin and a member of the Indian spin quartet. He is an alumunus of National Institute of Engineering , Mysore.-Career:Prasanna played his debut Test cricket...
and Srinivas Venkataraghavan (both off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
ners), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar is a former Indian cricketer who specialised in leg spin. Considered amongst 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...
(a leg spin
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
ner), and Bishen Singh Bedi (a left-arm spinner
Left-arm orthodox spin
Left-arm orthodox spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket.Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left arm bowler using the fingers to spin the ball from right to left of the cricket pitch...
). Between them, they played 231 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
taking 853 wickets. They were one of the most deadly combinations in world cricket, especially on the dusty subcontinental pitches.
The spin quartet was instrumental in producing many Indian Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
victories. However, the four hardly played together in the same match - in fact, there was only one match in which all four of them were in the Starting XI. Due to team restrictions, often either Prasanna or Venkataraghavan was left out in order to accommodate the others. However, these four men contributed greatly for some of India's greatest triumphs, including Test series victories in the West Indies and England, as well as Test victories in Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
.
In 2004, the Board of Control for Cricket in India
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
conferred on them the CK Nayudu award, named after India's first Test captain.