The most unforgettable day in Indian cricket history
The most unforgettable day in Indian cricket history
By CricketCountry Staff
West Indies vs India, Prudential World Cup final, Lord’s, London, June 25, 1983
India won by 43 runs
Not many would have put their money on India when the team left the Indian shores for the 1983 World Cup. Bookmaker put India’s chances of winning the World Cup at 66:1. This was pre-tournament odds.
Kapil Dev’s men infused themselves with tremendous self-belief after their opening game victory against West Indies at Old Trafford – the win imbibed a feeling in the Indian ranks that nothing could be beyond them if they could put it across the mighty Windies. The team carried the new found self-confidence throughout the tournament and stormed into the final, where they once again ran into the West Indies.
On a sunny day, India batted first after being inserted in by Clive Lloyd. Indian openers Sunil Gavaskar and Krishnamachari Srikkanth were up against the hostility of Andy Roberts and Joel Garner.
Garner bowled an incisive spell, beating Gavaskar four times in one over. The pressure imposed by the “Big Bird” was reaped by Roberts when he had the Little Master flirting outside off-stump to be caught behind.
Srikkanth was peppered with short pitch bowling from both ends, but the Tamil Nadu dasher knows only one way to bat and predictably went on the offensive. A hooked six off Roberts landed in the lower tier of the Warner Stand.
Srikkanth produced a superb square-drive on bent knee off Roberts that raced away to the Tavern boundary. The section of the Indian crowd was enjoying every bit of it and even chants of “Dil Maange More” wouldn’t have looked completely out of place the way Srikkanth was batting.
The opener enjoyed exemplary support from Mohinder Amarnath as the pair posted India’s fifty – a very good recovery after the early exit of Gavaskar.
The promise of translating that recovery into consolidation was halted when Malcolm Marshall trapped Srikkanth lbw for 38.
Amarnath took charge of the innings after Srikkanth’s departure and India prospered to a healthy looking 90 for 2. Just when it looked India was poised to post a respectable score, Michael Holding struck, cleaning up Amarnath for 26.
The wicket was just what the West Indies needed to tear through the Indian innings which lost its direction and momentum. India appeared to be bowled out for a score under 150 but it was only due to Sandeep Patil’s almost a run-a-ball 29 and a determined tail that saw India reach a score of 183 in 54.3 overs.
A chase of 184 looked a mere formality for the powerful batting line-up West Indies possessed. India needed an early breakthrough if they were to defend their paltry score. Balwinder Singh Sandhu provided that. His big in-swinger was misjudged by Gordon Greenidge, who shouldered arms only to see the ball clip the top of off-stump. West Indies were 5 for 1.
“I was Gordon Greendige’s fan before playing international cricket and I have always been his fan. And I believe that, Greenidge getting bowled, by leaving the ball, made that delivery more special,” Sandhu once recalled that dismissal.
West Indies hardly looked bothered by the early loss as they had the mercurial Vivian Richards walking in next. Richards exploded from the outset. He pounded boundaries at will and found Desmond Haynes the ideal foil. The pair brought up the fifty as West Indies looking coasting to yet another World Cup victory.
The script changed dramatically from here. Madan Lal induced Haynes to drive uppishly to Roger Binny. Windies was now 50 for 2.
Seven runs later, Madan Lal got an overconfident Richards. “The King” had hit three consecutive fours of Madan, but in pulling the Indian medium-pacer found the ball hitting the top half of the bat and soar high towards the mid-wicket boundary. Kapil Dev sprinted at least 20 yards back and pulled off an incredible catch that probably cost West Indies the World Cup.
“I still don’t know from where he (Kapil) came to take that catch! When Kapil was running back waving to nearest fielder to get out of his way, I knew my time was over,” Richards once recollected that blinder.
But for Kapil’s brilliance, the aggression Richards showed at the crease would have ensured that the match would be wrapped up with plenty to spare. As seeds of doubt crept into the West Indies ranks, there was extra spring in the strides of Indian bowlers.
The West Indies never recovered from Richards’s dismissal. Skipper Clive Lloyd’s fatal drive off Binny only heightened the panic in the Windies camp.
Jeff Dujon and Maloclm Marshall kept the West Indies supporters interested with a determined fight back, but when Amarnath got rid of them in quick succession, the writing was evident on the wall.
It was left to Amarnath to script the finishing touches, trapping Holding in front to set off wild scenes at Lord’s. India’s 43-run win was well and truly sealed as fans invaded the ground and players scurried to the dressing room.
Sir Garry Sobers best encapsulated Indian cricket’s biggest moment by refusing to sign an autograph for a fan saying it was India’s day! Nice thought to ponder!