New Delhi, June 25: On this day in 1983, Kapil Dev-led India defied all odds and stunned the cricketing world by beating the mighty West Indies to lift the maiden ICC Cricket World trophy.
India defeated on merit the firm favourites, winning a low-scoring match by 43 runs at the Lord’s. Mohinder Amarnath was awarded the Man of the Match for his all-round performance.
This was the third consecutive World Cup final appearance for the West Indies, having won the last two Cricket World Cups. India was making their first appearance at a World Cup final after defeating England by 6 wickets in the first semi-finals. This was also the first appearance by an Asian nation in a World Cup final.
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).
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, defeating the previously invincible West Indies.
Amarnath and Madan Lal (3-31) each took three wickets, and one memorable moment was the sight of Kapil Dev running a great distance (about 18-20 yards) to take a catch to dismiss Richards, the 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.
Celebrating the 39th anniversary of the country’s first cricket World Cup triumph former cricketers paid tributes to Kapil Dev and Co’s unforgettable victory at Lord’s. Taking to Twitter, Sachin Tendulkar shared the winning captain Kapil Dev’s picture of hilding a World Cup trophy and said: “Some moments in life inspire you & make you dream. On this day in 1983, we won the World Cup for the first time. I knew right then, that’s what I wanted to do too!”
Former India star opening batter, Virender Sehwag also shared a 1983 world cup team picture along with Kapil Dev’s photo of holding a trophy and captioned it, “Date mein kya rakha hai? Well, 25th June, is date mein shuruaat rakhi hai. It is a day on which India began it’s journey-in 1932 playing it’s first ever Test & 51 years later on 25th June 1983, Kapil Paaji & his boys winning the World Cup,which was a beginning for many cricketers.”
Legendary India cricketer Kris Srikkanth said that winning the World Cup in 1983 felt like “independence day for cricket in India”, adding that the achievement changed Indian cricket forever.
“Sometimes I have to pinch myself and say ‘we’re still talking about the 1983 World Cup. It’s been 39 years’. It was a great achievement. As our manager put it in the 83 movie, it was our second independence. We got our independence in 1947; this was independence day for cricket in India. That changed the face of Indian cricket in my opinion. I’m sure all of you will agree.
“We could walk on the streets of London on the 25th evening or night and say ‘we are the world champions’. We Indians across the world can walk on the streets whether in London or in New York and say ‘we are the world champions’. That is the greatest achievement of the 1983 World Cup,” Srikkanth said. (IANS)
