Chandu Borde

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Chandu Borde

| country = India

| fullname = Chandrakant Gulabrao Borde

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1934|7|21|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Pune, Bombay Presidency, British India

| family = Ramesh Borde (brother)

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right arm leg break

| role = All-rounder

| international = true

| testdebutdate = 28 November

| testdebutyear = 1958

| testdebutagainst = West Indies

| testcap = 83

| lasttestdate = 9 November

| lasttestyear = 1969

| lasttestagainst = Australia

| club1 = Maharashtra

| year1 = {{nowrap|1952/53–1953/54}}

| club2 = Bombay

| year2 = 1954/55

| club3 = Baroda

| year3 = {{nowrap|1954/55–1962/63}}

| club4 = Maharashtra

| year4 = {{nowrap|1963/64–1972/73}}

| columns = 2

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 55

| runs1 = 3,061

| top score1 = 177*

| bat avg1 = 35.59

| 100s/50s1 = 5/18

| deliveries1 = 5,695

| wickets1 = 52

| best bowling1 = 5/88

| bowl avg1 = 46.48

| fivefor1 = 1

| tenfor1 = 0

| catches/stumpings1 = 37/–

| column2 = First-class

| matches2 = 251

| runs2 = 12,805

| top score2 = 207*

| bat avg2 = 40.91

| 100s/50s2 = 30/72

| deliveries2 = 20,304

| wickets2 = 331

| best bowling2 = 8/52

| bowl avg2 = 27.32

| fivefor2 = 14

| tenfor2 = 3

| catches/stumpings2 = 160/–

| date = 2 October

| year = 2009

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1083/1083.html CricketArchive {{subscription required}}

}}

Chandrakant Gulabrao "Chandu" Borde {{audio|Chandu_Borde.ogg|pronunciation}} (born 21 July 1934), is an Indian former cricketer who played for India between 1958 and 1970. Following his retirement, he became a cricket administrator and twice served as India's chairman of selectors.

Personal life

Borde was born into a Marathi Christian family in Pune, having five brothers and five sisters.{{cite web |url=http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/26962.html |title=Chandu Borde |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=16 March 2007}}{{cite news |url=https://www.indianmirror.com/games/cricket/coach-chandu-borde.html |title=Chandu Borde |work=Indian Mirror |access-date=3 January 2022}} His younger brother Ramesh Borde was also a cricketer who played for West Zone and Maharashtra in domestic cricket.{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/ramesh-borde-27269 |title=Ramesh Borde |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=9 July 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/chandu-borde-10-facts-about-the-former-india-all-rounder-506122 |author=Nishad Pai Vaidya |title=Chandu Borde: 10 facts about the former India all-rounder |work=Cricket Country |date=21 July 2015 |access-date=9 July 2021}} Borde says Vijay Hazare is his idol and he was once able to share the dressing room with him.{{cite web |url=https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/chandu-borde-birthday--interesting-facts-about-the-pune-cricketer-17454172 |title=Chandu Borde birthday: Interesting facts about the Pune cricketer |work=Mid-Day |date=21 July 2016 |access-date=3 January 2022}}

Domestic cricket

Borde made his first-class debut in India's 1952/53 domestic season.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

He first played for Baroda against Gujarat in Ahmedabad in December 1954. He played in the semi-final against Holkar and was bowled for a duck. He had more success in the following season, making a century against Bombay. In the 1957/58 Ranji Trophy final against Services, he scored a half-century and picked up 5 wickets in the match.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

He returned to Maharashtra after a transfer in 1964.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Test cricket

=The beginning=

Borde made his debut in the First Test during the West Indies tour of India. Over the first two Tests, his performance was ordinary and he was dropped for the Third Test in favour of debutant Ramnath Kenny. After a poor performance from Kenny, Borde was recalled and made his maiden Test half-century. In the Fifth and final Test of the series, Borde made his international breakthrough with a maiden century, 109 and then 96 in the second innings of a drawn match.

In the next series, India toured England, and Borde fractured the little finger on the left hand in the First Test,{{Cite web| access-date = 17 March 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=Scorecard – 1st Test Match between India & England, 1959 Season| url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1950S/1959/IND_IN_ENG/IND_ENG_T1_04-08JUN1959.html}} and missed the second Test. Over the next 11 matches, Borde scored only two half-centuries and took 14 wickets as Australia and Pakistan toured India. In the Fourth Test against Pakistan in Madras,{{Cite web| access-date = 17 March 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=Scorecard – 4th Test Match between India & Pakistan, 1960/61 Season| url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1960-61/PAK_IN_IND/PAK_IND_T4_13-18JAN1961.html}} he made 177*, his second century and highest Test score, combining in a 177-run stand with fellow centurion Polly Umrigar.

=Contributions in Indian victories=

Borde played a key part in India's first victory over England in the Fourth Test played in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, scoring two half centuries (68 and 61) and taking 3 wickets in the First Test. In the following Test in Madras, India won again with Borde taking five wickets.

India's tour of the West Indies in 1961/62 was disappointing,{{Cite web| access-date = 17 March 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=Index – India's tour of West Indies, 1961/62 Season| url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1961-62/IND_IN_WI/}} resulting in a 5–0 whitewash. Borde had a mediocre series scoring 244 runs at 24.4 and taking only six wickets. He followed it with good performances in the next two series (England in India, and Australian tour of India) scoring 383 at 42.55 and taking ten wickets in eight Tests.

=Kiwi pleasure=

New Zealand toured India in 1964/65 and Borde took a liking to the opposition, scoring a century in Brabourne Stadium, Bombay in the Third Test.{{Cite web| access-date = 17 March 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=Scorecard – 3rd Test Match between New Zealand and India, 1964/65 Season| url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1964-65/NZ_IN_IND/NZ_IND_T3_12-15MAR1965.html}} It was one of three centuries in the series. He finished with 371 runs at 60.81. The series also marked the last time that Borde bowled at international level. Borde followed up the successful New Zealand series with another great individual performance in the home series against West Indies scoring two centuries as India lost the three Test series 2–0.

=Honors: RoW XI selection and Test match captaincy=

Borde was the only Indian representative in the Rest of the World XI squad that played against Barbados in March 1967.{{Cite web| access-date = 17 March 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=Scorecard – RoW XI against Barbados| url=http://sl.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/1960S/1966-67/R-O-W_IN_WI/R-O-W_BDOS_08-11MAR1967.html}}

Borde captained the Indian team in the First Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in December 1967. The Nawab of Pataudi resumed his position as captain in the next match.

=Career twilight=

Outside his sole Test as captain in Australia, Borde had disappointing performances on the tours to Australia, England and New Zealand scoring 468 runs at 24.67 in 11 Tests with only four half-centuries. Playing only as a specialist batsman, Borde was dropped as part of a youth selection policy, with his place taken by Gundappa Viswanath after the First Test against Australia at Brabourne Stadium.

Cricket administrator

Borde had two stints as the chairman of the national selection committee:

1984 to 1986{{Cite web| access-date = 16 March 2007| work=Rediff.com| title=Interview with Chandu Borde| url=http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2004/mar/05inter.htm}}
1999 to 2002{{Cite web| access-date = 16 March 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=1999/2000 Selection Committee Announcement| url=http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/83989.html#senior}}

Apart from his duties as chairman of the selection committee, Borde has handled other tasks for Indian cricket, including:

Manager, India's tour of Pakistan in 1989.
Pitch curator, Nehru Stadium, Pune (1984–present).{{Cite web| access-date = 16 March 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=Chandu Borde – The Pitch Curator| url=http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/newzealand/content/story/132294.html}}
Manager, India's tour of Ireland and England in 2007.

Borde published his autobiography in July 2018, titled Panther's Paces (as told to Mohan Sinha).

Records

Borde scored 1,604 first-class runs in 1964–65 which was an Indian record for a season.{{cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/627531.html| title = Ask Steven: The mystery of the missing batsman| work = Cricinfo}} The record was broken in 2016–17 by Cheteshwar Pujara.{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-bangladesh-2016-17/content/story/1081659.html |title=Pujara breaks record for most runs in an Indian first-class season |work=Cricinfo |access-date=9 February 2017 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}}

Awards

Borde has received several awards from the Government of India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his contributions to cricket:

1966: Was awarded the Arjuna Award by Government of India making him the fourth cricketer to receive the award.{{Cite web|access-date=16 March 2007 |publisher=GoI – Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports |title=Arjuna Awards – Cricket |url=http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm#Cricket |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225121351/http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm#Cricket |archive-date=25 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}
1969: Was awarded the Padma Shri{{Cite web| access-date = 14 March 2007| publisher=Tribute India.com| title=List of Awards for Chandu Borde| url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020126/sports.htm | date=26 January 2002}}
2002: Awarded Padma Bhushan – India's third highest civilian award.{{Cite web| access-date = 14 March 2007| publisher=Tribute India.com| title=Chandu Borde to receive Padma Bhushan award| url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020327/ncr3.htm|date=27 March 2002}}
2003: C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded by the BCCI.{{Cite web| access-date = 4 May 2007| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| title=BCCI a master of ceremonies| url=http://content-www.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/266920.html|date=4 November 2006}}{{Cite news |date=18 December 2013 |title=C.K. Nayudu award for Kapil Dev |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/ck-nayudu-award-for-kapil-dev/article5474173.ece |access-date=25 April 2023 |issn=0971-751X}}