| In 1966 the Indian cricket team faced the West | | | | spinner in the world. He had a slow classical action and |
| Indies in the test match at Chennai. It was the last | | | | unlike Murlidharan who almost throws the ball Bedi |
| day and the spinners Prasanna and Bedi were | | | | earned his wickets the classical way. |
| operating. All that remained between the West Indies | | | | The third spinner of this period was Chandrasekhar. |
| and defeat was Garfield Sobers. The ball was turning | | | | He was a freak bowler who on his day was just |
| and the two spinners had the West Indies on the | | | | unplayable. His 6 for 38 in the oval test in 1971 is |
| mat. Bu then as is the bane of Indian cricket a | | | | remembered as the greatest bowling performance |
| dropped catch did the trick for the West Indies and | | | | by an Indian in the last century. It was India first test |
| they scampered to a draw. | | | | win in England. Chandra bowled almost at medium |
| This test is important as it marked the start of one | | | | pace and opposing batsmen had difficulty in |
| of the golden periods of Indian cricket. This was the | | | | negotiating his bounce. Peter Burge the Australian |
| period when Prasanna and Bedi along with | | | | batsman was bowled by Chandra with a ball he never |
| Chndershekhar made history by ushering in an era | | | | saw the moment it left his hand. |
| which is now regarded as the golden age of spin | | | | The fourth spinner who was part of the quartet was |
| bowling. There was also a fourth member of this | | | | Venkat Raghavan. He was a good utility bowler and |
| team -Venkatraghavan and he also played his part in | | | | very economical. He stepped in as a substitute if one |
| this era. | | | | of the 3 spinner's did not play. |
| All the spinners had their own styles. Prasanna was a | | | | The cricket world used to the dominance of fast |
| spinner in the classical mould.He bowled off spin and | | | | bowlers was taken aback at the success of the |
| more often than not he beat the batsman with his | | | | spinners. During the 1971 West Indies tour people |
| flight. On the 1967 tour of Australia the Australian | | | | were astonished to see Bedi and company holding |
| batsmen could not read him fully and he scalped 25 | | | | batsmen of the likes of Kanhai and Lloyd by the |
| wickets. Ian Chappell rated him the world's best off | | | | leash. It was a sight to behold. India won the series. |
| spinner. | | | | It must be remembered that during this period India |
| Bishen Singh Bedi was a slow left hand leg spinner. He | | | | had no fast bowlers and thus from the word go it |
| complimented Prasanna and is often compared to the | | | | was Bedi and Prasanna aided by Chandrasekhar who |
| great Verity. Bedi tossed the ball up to the batsman | | | | had to deliver the goods irrespective of the wickets. |
| and you had to have exceptional foot work to | | | | This they did admirably. But now almost four decades |
| negotiate him. The ball with which he bowled Simpson | | | | later we can look back to this period as the golden |
| one of the best players of spin bowling in a test in | | | | age of spin bowling. I do not think it will be replicated |
| Australia is a stand out. Bedi took over 260 test | | | | again-at least for a long time. |
| wickets and during his heyday was rated as the best | | | | |