Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Date:- June 25, 1983. Venue:-Lords Cricket Ground England. Occassion:- Prudential World Cup Cricket
History was about to be re-written. The mighty Goliath were humbled by David. Indians lead by Kapil Dev, defeated the all conquering West Indians and lifted the World Cup. This was the first and the only time that Indians won the coveted trophy. The only other time India came close was in 2003, when under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly, India reached the finals only to be defeated by Australia.
Kapil Dev – Leader Par Excellence
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj (better known as Kapil Dev) was born on 6th January, 1959 in Chandigarh. He was known as the “Haryana Hurricane”
He was a right arm pace bowler and a right arm batsman. He had a potent outswinger with which he used to trouble almost all the batsmen in the world. In additions he was a natural strokemaker. A geniune all rounder who was India’s savior on many occasions when the Team was in trouble.
Before the World Cup
In the previous season, the Indian selectors had made one of those inspired moves for which they were criticised at the time but which shone like a beacon of common sense in hindsight. They named Kapil Dev captain of the one-day side. Under Kapil, India beat Sri Lanka 3-0, and lost to Pakistan 1-0 but the nucleus of a team took shape. It was a team built on the dual skills of the allrounder, and a team that understood the importance of the medium-pacer. In the 1970s, spinners like Bishan Bedi and Srinivas Venkatraghavan had focused on claiming wickets; now the medium-pacers borrowed from England’s strategy and concentrated on keeping the runs down. In those two series Kapil was assisted by Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath, Balwinder Sandhu, Roger Binny and Sandip Patil.
On March 29, with the World Cup 72 days away, India beat twice champions West Indies in Berbice, Guyana. Gavaskar made his first 50 in 52 balls before falling for 90. Kapil Dev made 72 off 38 balls and India 282 for 5 in 47 overs. Madan Lal dismissed Viv Richards for 64, and Ravi Shastri had three wickets as the West Indies finished with 255 to lose by 27 runs. But the statistics of that win were not as important as the impact it had on a team that thought the essence of one-day cricket was simply to turn up and go through the motions.
World Cup Group Stages
When Kapil Dev led against West Indies in India’s opening match of the 1983 World Cup, bookmakers’ odds on India were 66-1. Eight teams were participating in the event. The preliminary matches were played in two groups of 4 teams each with each team playing the other twice and the top two team from the respective group going through to the semi finals.
India started off with a win against the West Indies (by 34 runs) in their first match, followed by a victory against Zimbabwe (by 5 wkts). They lost to Australia (by 162 runs). They met the West Indies again. This time West Indies won (by 66 runs) and avenged their defeat in the first match. They defeated Zimbabwe again (by 31 runs) and defeated Australia in the final encounter (by 118 runs) and proceed to the semis.
Another story that needs to be mentioned here that in their Second Group encounter against the Zimbabweans, it was a majestical knock of 175 by skipper Kapil Dev that bailed the Indians out of Trouble who were 17/5 when he had walked in. Had it not for that knock, Indians would have been knocked off in the group stage itself
World Cup Semi Final Stages
India and West Indies made it to the semi final from Group B while England and Pakistan made it to the last four from Group A.
In the semi finals, England met India at Old Trafford, while Pakistan faced West Indies at the Oval.Both the matches were played on the same day ie 22nd June, 1983.
England won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 213 in 60 overs.Graeme Fowler (33 from 59 balls, 3 fours) top scored, and Kapil Dev took 3 for 35 in eleven overs, with Mohinder Amarnath and Roger Binny taking two wickets each. In reply, Yashpal Sharma (61 from 115 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes) and Sandeep Patil (51 from 32 balls, 8 fours) made half-centuries, as India reached their target in 54.4 overs, winning by 6 wickets in an upset victory over the previous tournament’s runner-ups. Mohinder Amarnath (46 from 92 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) picked up the man-of-the-match award for his all round performance, which saw him add 46 runs to his earlier bowling success (2/27 in 12 overs).
In the second semi finals, West Indies won the toss and inserted Pakistan, whom they restricted to just 184 (8 wickets, 60 overs). Mohsin Khan (70 from 176 balls, 1 four) fought his way past 50 against the superb West Indies Bowling (he was the only Pakistani batsman to reach 50). Malcolm Marshall (3 for 28) and Andy Roberts (2 for 25) starred with the ball. The West Indies innings was based around a superb innings by Viv Richards (80 from 96 balls, 11 fours, 1 six), who took the man-of-the-match award, and an unbeaten half-century by Larry Gomes (50 from 100 balls, 3 fours) as the defending champions reached their target for the loss of just two wickets.
The Finals
In the final, India lost the toss and were asked to bat first against a West Indies team that arguably boasted the world’s best bowling attack. Only Mohinder Amarnath (26 from 80 balls) and Kris Srikkanth (38 from 57 balls) put up any significant resistance as Roberts, Marshall, Joel
Garner and Michael Holding ripped through the Indian batsmen, ably supported by
Gomes. Surprising resistance by the tail allowed India to compile 183 (all out, 54.4 overs). Only three sixes were hit in the Indian innings, one from Srikkanth, one from Sandeep
Patil (27 from 29 balls), and one from Madan Lal (17 from 27 balls). However, the Indian bowling exploited the weather and pitch conditions perfectly to bowl out the best batting lineup of the era for 140 from 52 overs in return, winning by 43 runs and completing one of the most stunning upsets in cricket history. Amarnath and Madan Lal (3-31) each took three wickets, and one memorable moment was the sight of Kapil Dev running a great distance to take a catch to dismiss Richards, West Indies top scorer with 33 from 28 balls. Amarnath was the most economical bowler, conceding just 12 runs from his seven overs while taking 3 wickets, and was once again awarded the Man of the Match award for his all-round performance. There was no ‘Man of the Series’ awarded in 1983.
The pictures have been played over and over on television channels and in our minds. Krishnamachari Srikkanth square-driving
Andy Roberts for four; Srikkanth taking a single running backwards in sheer exuberance; Balwinder Sandhu clean-bowling Gordon Greenidge, who had let the ball go; Kapil Dev running to catch Viv Richards over his shoulder after Richards had threatened to take the game away; Mohinder Amarnath bowling his friendly medium pace and then shyly walking up to receive his Man of the Match award; Kapil Dev handing over the World Cup to Amarnath; a bunch of unknowns,fans from India, grinning stupidly on the Indian balcony.
That was the Golden Era of Indian Cricket. From no-hopers to world champions is a huge leap, and led by Kapil Dev, India took it almost casually. Soon they won the Asia Cup in Sharjah and the World Championship of Cricket in Australia. A world cup has eluded us since then. But each and every Indian takes pride in remembering those moments when underdogs India scripted the most remarkable upsets in International Cricket.
Filed under: 1983- History in the Making, Cricket, Sports , gorodn greenidge, india, kapil dev, prudential world cup 1983, west indies
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