1983 World Cup Triumph 25th anniversary  day.

         There is no greater  thrill in Sport than seeing a dark horse triumph. To me the greatest accolade to any team in Sport is in triumphing when the odds are against you. It is one thing crossing a strait or climbing a mountain when the going is good, but totally another experience when the tide is against you or there is a snowstorm.I ndia’s 1983 World Cup triumph to me stands amongst the greatest achievements in the history of Sport. It taught not only the sporting world but the world in general about how single-mindedness, organization, self confidence  ,unity and the sheer will to win  can pull of  victory against all the odds. It was the equivalent of winning a war against the enemy in alien conditions against a much more powerful force. India taught the world the triumph of spirit and will power against the most powerful of enemies.

                   India started the World Cup having an abysmal record on one day Cricket. In both the previous World Cups India was outplayed as though it was b class team losing to Sri Lnka Etc.I n the previous summer England thrashed India in t heone day series  on English soil .India was thrashed subsequently in Pakisatn ,but though beaten in the West Indies lost honourably. I t was there that India recorded a historic win against the West Indies in Guyana, at Bourda Cricket Ground.S unil Gvaskar’s 90 palyed an instrumental role. To me that it waslit he spark in the GOlden era of Indian One day Cricket.I ndia scored 282 and the West Indies lost by a convincing margin.

                  It must be Said that on paper India had a formidable battingt line up and Australian skipper Kim Hughes started that India were the dark horses of the tournament. With players like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar Mohindre Amarnath, Sandeep Patil ,Dilip Vengsarkar l Etc India had a formidable line up.H owever the pace attack lacked depth .The question was would seamerslike Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Madan Lal and Roger Binny get help from the seaming English conditions(Kapil Dev already had proved himself)India alos gained considerable experience on the tour of he Wst Indies with Mohinder Amarnath combating fast bowling better than any batsman in the world.

In he very first match India pulled of a amazing34 run win and the mighty West Indies were beaten for the first time in the World Cup. Yashpal Sharma made  auseful 89 .The Indian bowlers bowled an immaculate line and length and Ravi Shastri bowled an  intelligent spell.  India went on to beat Zimbawe I the next game.

           Howeve r India  subsequently had a  disastrous match against Australia. The Aussie batsmen tore the heart out of the Indian bowling amassing 320 runs  and later their attack ripped through the top order of the Indian batting.Had the early success gone into our heads.?

 In he 2^nd encounter against the calypsos.Viv Richards returned to form scoring 119.The West Indies amassed 282 but India made a formidable reply and when Dilip Vengsrakar and MohindEr Amarnath were at he crease looked like achieving the target.Amarnath’s driving and hoking was superb. Vengsarkar was retired hurt being felled by a bouncer Fom Marshall and after AmarntAh’s wicket the Indian bating capitulated like a pack of cards.

    The next game against Zimbawe was a do or diee game for India. At the start it seemed that the India team was simply bowing down to surrender to the enemy when the score read 17-5.T.Everyone had given up hope and it seemed now that any play left in this match was simply a ritual.

However it was then that Kapil Dev gave one of the most superlative displays ever witnessed in Sport. He launched a bout of blistering aggression  and the opponent ‘s attack looked like cattle slaughtered.It looked like a bomber destroying an airbase.Single-handedly Kapil Dev change the complexion of thegame .From 72-7 India reached 266-8.Kapil Dev reminded one of a army general leading his team to victory after all seemed lost. His hitting and strokes executed that day would have even made Sir Garfield Sobers proud.He went on to take 3 wickets and India gained a historic triumph.It would have been a sight to behold witnessing the contrast expressions in the Indian dressing room after all seemed lost .Kapil Dev had brought a ray of light from absolute darkness.It was the turning point in the World Cup.

          Now India had to win the last league match against Australia to qualify for the semi-final;. The question was which side of the graph was India on. Useful knocks by Yashpal Sharmatc tookIndia to a competitive total of 248 runs .However Australia were still favourites.At 60-1 it seemed they were on their way.

It was then that a renaissance period took place in India bowling. Making brilliant use of the seaming conditions of the pitch and the air Roger Binny and Madal lal ripped through the Australian batting.The Kangaroos were unable o cope with the moving ball and wee either rapped or beaten.What India lacked in pace and fore powee was compensated by brilliantly exploiting the seaming conditions and building prodigious swing. Australia capitulated  and India had made it to he semis.

In the semi-final Sports critics wrote of India  who were to face England. England’s entry into the semis was a virtual certainty considering their formidable record at home and in the current tournament. They had peformed consistently well to qualify and were well –organised like an army set out to triumph. They won the toss and elected to bat. They seemed to be coasting along at 69-0 I 16 oversbefore Roger Binny dimissed both Chris Tavare and Graeme Fowler.Tavare was beaten from an outside edge and caught behind while Fowler was bowled,playing all around a swinging ball.I ndia was now bowling an immaculate line and length. and the fielding was top class. Just before Lunch David Gower was dismissed flirting at a wide ball of Amarnath.The run rate had considerably slowed down and in trying to accelerate Alan Lamb  was run outby a brilliant throw from Kirti Azad M.ike Gating was bowled trough the gate by Amanath while Kirti Azad bowled Ian Botham trying o cut him outside the offstump.England were tottering at 146-6/Finalyl England were bowled out for 213 runs.

The question was now whether the Indian batsman could withstand the pressure. At 50-2 the game could have one either way .However a formidable partnership between Yashapal Sharma and Mohinder Amarnath laid the foundation for India.T hey beautifully took the odd singles and punished the looseball. With India not very far away from the target Amarnath was run out and England sniffed heir last breadth of hope. Could hey still reverse the result?

However Sandeep Patil came in and reminiscent of   an executioner coming to behead his opponents, tore apart the English attack like a tiger tearing his prey,scorong 51precious runs.He launched seriesof blistering drives against Bob Willis and one was remindedo f his brilliant knock on the same ground the previous yaer. In  a couple of overs the match was virtually over. When Yashpal Sharma was brilliantly caught  for 61 by Paul A lot,Kapil Dev stormed in to complete the last rites.The winning blow was scored by Sandeep Patil .

.The joy displayed in the Indian dressing room was a sight to behold. The team was absolutely overjoyed. Against all odds s the enemy was conquered after it seemed that England had obtained a certain passport o he final. India’s planning, approach ,tactical soundness and never –say die attitude won them the day. The fielding was brilliant.Th e wicket had suited India better with ball coming slowly of the bat and helping the sow bowlers. England were simply unable to get away and were simply struggling trying to find the gap The myth of English invincibility in one day Cricket against India was dispelled. It almost felt like India defeating the Invincible British empire. Mohinder Amrnath exploited the conditions brilliantly and his moving slow ball was difficult o gt away.

Now,to the final against the mighty West Indies. To many people it seemed that the Calypsos would walk over India, like an Elephant stamping on an insect. It was like sheep combating a tiger. India capitulated to 183 with only some resistance from Amarnath, Sandeep Patil and Krishn amashari Shrikanth. Shrikanth launched a series of blistering blows  and looked like tiger tearing his prey before he was trapped by Malcolm Marshall. Andy Roberts brilliantly removed Gavaskar, while Garner and Holding(brilliantly bowled Amarnath penetrating through his defence) made useful contribution.I t now seemed that a West Indian win was  amere ritual,and in the next innings one only had to go through he formalities.

Chasing 183 Greenidge Greenigde  was bowled offering no stroke to Sandhu and the Indian supporters were delirious.  Viv Richarsd walked in majestically like an emperor greeted by his subjects.and from  the start was in belligerent mood. The manner he batted it seemed the match would be over in 30 overs. It looked like an emperor humiliating an enemy battalion. At 57-2 Viv  hooked in typical style, mistiming his stroke  ,  but the great Kapil Dev held on to a skier at third man .It was  a superlative catch where he displayed superb judgement. The field had been set in tune with Richard’s strokeplay. India were back in it and the morale was again high. A few overs later Larry Gomes nicked an edge off Madan Lal of Gavaskar at slip.It was 66-4 when Clive Lloyd drove a ball of Roger Binny to Kapil Dev in the covers. And was caught. At 66-5 the West Indies were in total disarray and India were favourites.The complexion of the game had dramatically changed. Witnessing the transformed mood and elation in the Indian camp looked like a fire being lit. Their body language simply told the story. At 74-5 Faoud Bacchus drove at a wide ball from Sandhu and was superbly caught by Syed Kirmani. Marshall and Dujon led a minor recovery.But at 114 -6 Dujon played on to a leg cutter fro Amarnath and a few ball s later Marshall was caught behind o f Amarnath flashing at an outswinger. At 132 Andy Roberts was trapped leg before by  Kapil Dev and now it seemed that the final nail in the coffin was hit.

Garner and Holding hung around for a while and there was still that outside possibility of the Calypsos coming home. Remmber the last wicket stand against Pakistan in 1975 against all odds and the last wicket partnership at Old Trafford in the first match against India. However at 140 Holding played all around a straight ball from Amarnath and was trapped leg –before. India had written Cricket history and that minute was possibly the proudest moment in Indian Sport. The jubilation witnessed amongst he crowds was unforgettable. It was like a celebration of  a nation triumphing in a famous war. Amarnath was the man of the match or his superb all round performance .He scored a  useful 26 and his intelligent bowing contained the calypsos ,capturing 3-27.Significantly he was the man oft he match In  the sem0-final and final.The turning point was the catch of Viv Richards .India’s never say die will to win won them the day. They simply stuck to the basic task.West Indies losing reminded you of Napoleon losing the battle of Waterloo. At home the Indian team was greeted like an army winning a famous war. One was reminded of Russia’s triumph in the battle of Stalingrad.agaisnt all the odds..

      What were the factors that won India the cup.? To me it was the all rounders like Roger Binny, Madan Lal, Kapil Dev and Mohinder Amaranath who played an instrumental role. The seaming conditions were superbly exploited and the Indian a attack superbly maintained their line and length. The exhilarating strokeplaying ability of Sandeep Patil, Kapil Dev and Shrikanth was also useful.India’s huge batting depth was also a major factor with Syed Kirmani coming in  last man. Another  crucial factor was that India started as underdogs which motivated them to prove themselves. Above all it was a triumph of nerves and temperament and the desire to prove themselves.(Remember India’s poor performance starting as favourite in full form in the 1987 Reliance Cup)It must also be taken into account that no team had played the mighty West Indians as much as India in recent months.(They had just completed a full tour of the West Indies)India’s experience of playing the West Indies on their home soil just before the World Cup also gave them strong tactical understanding and experience of tackling the mighty opponent. 

The team simply stuck to the basic task.

How great was the 1983 World Cup winning Indian team?To me West Indies was still a better team but I cannot imagine team with a greater inner spirit ,motivation and passion than the  1983 Indian team ,even if it lacked the professionalism of the then West Indies or the recent Australian teams. On it’s day it was one of the greatest one day teams ever which could have even beaten Steve Waugh’s or Ricky Ponting’s Australian champion teams. India had subsequently won the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket in Australia,t he Asia and  Rothmans Cup in  Sharjah. However a loss to Pakistan in the 1986 Australasia Cup final to arch enemy Pakistan caused a considerable setback to India.

It is sad that India hardly maintained that form after the World Cup and succumbed in the 1987 version in the semis.,when hot favourites..I am certain with the same spiritI ndia would have won the 1987 Reliance Cup and maybe the 1992 World Cup. Frankly on that day I can’t imagine the best of teams beating India! Long Live the memories of India’s triumph I the 1983 World Cup.!