New Delhi: On this day in 1983, Kapil Dev and his India side made history, as they won the ICC Cricket World Cup for the first time. Lord's was the scene for India's greatest cricketing triumph at the time, as they beat two-time winners West Indies by 43 runs to lift the coveted trophy.
To say that no one expected India to even be at Lord's on the day of the final, let alone hold the trophy on the famed balcony, would be an understatement.
Coming into the third edition of the Cricket World Cup, India had only won one match out of six in the previous two tournaments, against East Africa.
Their record prior to the start of the World Cup was also not outstanding, with a single win in four games against Pakistan and the West Indies. Despite the numbers being against them, India made a brilliant start to the tournament with a win over favourites West Indies in their first game.
Prior to the finals, India had amazed and shocked the cricketing world with its remarkable achievements in the cricketing showpiece event, following poor appearances in 1975 and 1979, in which they were unable to advance beyond the group stages. They were second in their group with four wins and two losses, including victories over Zimbabwe, the West Indies, and Australia. In the semi-finals, they also overcame England by six wickets. India was in 'Giant Killer' mode coming into the final, with one kill remaining to secure the championship.
The West Indies entered the finals as the favoured, having won the previous two world cups in 1975 and 1979. They finished first in their group with five victories and one defeat, the loss coming against India. They had thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets in the semi-finals.
Put to bat first by WI, India had a disappointing start, losing their star batter Sunil Gavaskar for just 2. Afterwards, it was Kris Srikkanth and Mohinder Amarnath who helped India recover from this early hiccup, forming a 57-run stand, which was broken by pacer Malcolm Marshall by dismissing Srikkanth for 38.
Yashpal Sharma and Mohinder Amarnath then carried on, but a well-set Amarnath was dismissed for 26 by pacer Michael Holding. India was 3/90 at that stage. From then onwards, nothing really went right for India as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Sandeep Patil with a 27 tried to keep things steady for India.
Also, Captain Kapil Dev (15), Madan Lal (17) and Syed Kirmani, the wicketkeeper (14) tried their best to support Patil but Windies' bowling attack overpowered them, ending their knocks prematurely. Kirmani and bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu (11*) stitched a vital 30-run stand in the end, taking India to 183 in 54.4 overs before all the batters were back in the hut.
Pacer Andy Roberts (3/32) led the bowling charts for the Windies that day, taking wickets of Gavaskar, Kirti Azad and Roger Binny. Malcolm Marshall (2/24) and Michael Holding (2/26) also gave some notable contributions with their pace. Spinner Larry Gomes (2/49) was also solid. Chasing 184, the Windies were not of the most ideal start, losing Gordon Greenidge for just 1 run at the team's score of five. Sandhu the medium pacer had done the job for India by giving his side some early momentum.
Then Desmond Haynes and Viv Richards revived the Caribbean innings after this early wicket, stitching a valuable 45-run stand broken by medium pacer Madan Lal, who sent back Haynes for just 13 with assistance from Binny's safe hands.
Richards continued to look good, smashing seven majestic boundaries fitting the occasion of the final and a batter of his stature. It looked like he could continue for long and help WI complete a hat-trick of World Cups.
But Lal gave Team India perhaps its biggest breakthrough by dismissing Richards for 33 off 28, with Kapil Dev taking a marvellous running catch. Larry Gomes (5), Captain Clive Llyod (8) and Faoud Bacchus (8) fell quickly, sinking WI to 6/76, on the brink of a humiliating defeat. The trio of Binny-Sandhu and Lal took these wickets.
Afterwards, wicketkeeper-batter Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall tried to stabilise the innings for WI, stitching a stand of 43 runs which was broken by medium pacer Mohinder Amarnath by dismissing Dujon for 25. He also took the wicket of Marshall soon.
With the Windies at 124/8, the rest of their batting could not do much. Kapil Dev and Amarnath delivered two final blows to the Windies, ending their innings at 140.
Madan Lal (3/31) and Mohinder Amarnath (3/12) delivered in heaps for India at their medium pace. Sandhu also bowled well, taking 2/32. Kapil Dev and Roger Binny also took a wicket each. The day belonged completely to India and its pace attack in particular.
India had defied all sorts of expectations and odds to clinch their first-ever World Cup title. An underdog story to the core, it is a tale retold to every generation with pride. It is an event that triggered the massive cricket craze that has the country in its grip to this day and was perhaps the first step of India's rise in cricket as a superpower. The image of a smiling 'Haryana Hurricane' Kapil Dev holding the silverware still is the crown jewel of Dev's legendary legacy and Indian cricket's history.
Mohinder Amarnath was chosen as the Man of the Match for his crucial 26 and 3/12, delivering a true all-round effort.
Kapil Dev lifting the trophy at the balcony of Lord's Cricket Ground still remains an image to savour for all the Indian fans. India has been a regular participant in the World Cup from its beginning to the latest edition. The first edition was held in 1975 and from there on, it has taken place a span of every four years.
MS Dhoni captained the 2011 team to win their second title after 28 years. Australia has won the tournament five times (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015). —ANI
