Source: Twitter
Guwahati, June 25: The third edition of Cricket World Cup, (officially the Prudential Cup '83) held in 1983, was contested at a time of conventional cricket in white attire, with games lasting 60 overs per innings and typically using red balls. For many Indian fans, the sight of the squad lifting the trophy at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground is still a moment to cherish. India made its mark on the cricketing scenario by defeating West Indies-- the undisputed masters of World Cricket who had never lost a single World Cup match before the tournament began.
The triumph set the course for a new cricketing era in India that set the ball rolling for future Indian stars.
On June 25, 1983 India lifted the World Cup under the captaincy of Kapil Dev at Lord's. Here are some interesting anecdotes of cricket's greatest underdog story:
In the oblivion
The Indian squad of 1983, popularly known as Kapil’s Devils were oblivious of the victory at Lord’s. The fact that the team performed poorly in the previous tournaments in 1975 and 1979 made them believe that it will be a challenge to beat the defending champions-- West Indies. Experts did not even considered India as one of the contenders to win the Cup. Moreover, some of the Indian players had looked at the World Cup in England as a vacation rather than facing fierce bowlers like Malcolm Marshall, Bob Willis and Jeff Thomson. However, the team thrived under Kapil Dev’s firebrand leadership, who not only motivated players to bring out their best but also inspired them to fight.
The ‘toss’ was a blessing in disguise
Clive Llyod who won the toss sent India to bat. Considering the Indian batting line and the fierce bowlers they had to face, Kapil in an interview regarded this instance as a nightmare as the pitch was green. “We were already disappointed with the toss and we know the pitch, but we were adamant and thought of giving our best as a team. Rest, it was destiny! Today when I look back, I would say that the pitch helped us win, because it was a great pitch for our bowlers. All the bowlers including me, Madan Lal, Roger Binny, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and Mohinder Amaranth used to swing the ball. It would make things difficult for anyone on that pitch,” Kapil was quoted as saying.
The Finals
In the run chase, India had a disappointing start with Sunil Gavaskar being knocked out for just 2. India bundled out for a meagre 183, with Srikkanth top-scoring with 38. Meanwhile, West Indies had lost the early wicket of Gordon Greenidge during the run chase, but Desmond Haynes and Viv Richards, in particular, seemed in excellent condition as they sought to win the game for their team by hitting over 117 while chasing a pitiful total in a 60-over match. However, both batters were struck by Madan Lal and left the game in short succession. The catch Kapil made while sprinting backwards to dismiss Richards is what has become legendary in Indian cricket. From that point on, there was no turning back as India defeated the Windies team by 43 runs to win the match and claim the title of champions.
Underdogs to world champions
The 1983 World Cup match was a watershed moment in India’s cricket history. India, led by Kapil Dev, defeated the two-time champions West Indies in the final to lift their first-ever World Cup trophy. The victory sparked a new era of cricket in India and inspired a generation of young cricketers to pursue the sport professionally.
During that era, the cricket board decided to accord a grand welcome to the champions, however, due to shortage of funds the board was determined to raise money. The then President of the cricket board NKP Salve approached Lata Mangeshkar for a concert, to which she agreed and also awarded Rs 1 lakh to each player in the team.