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It was on June 25, 1983, when Kapil Dev and his side triumphed over the mighty West Indies who were on their way to a hat-trick of World Cup wins before being stunned by a determined Indian effort.
India was not even the favourites to be competing at the Mecca of cricket or for even the semi-final – but as the tournament progressed, they grew in confidence.
Their route to the tournament final saw them comfortably make it through Group B with four wins from six, before seeing off hosts England at Old Trafford in the semi-final.
They did have a minor hiccup against Zimbabwe after being reduced to 17-5, but skipper Dev played the best innings of the ODI cricket to get 175 runs from 138 runs in a partnership with Kirmani.
The 175 runs at that time were the highest ODI score. It was such a shame not to have the match televised.
The final saw India being bowled out for 183 runs in 54.5 overs with Kris Srikanth at the top scoring 38.
Considering the talent in the Windies’ ranks, they looked on course to get the desired total.
However, fine bowling from India’s attack helped skittle their opponents for just 140.
Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal were the stars with the ball, taking three wickets apiece as India recorded a historic 43-run victory.
The likes of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, and Viv Richards perished before the captain Clive Lloyd wicket reduced Windies to 6-76.
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What caught everyone’s attention was Kapil Dev’s catch running backwards that dismissed Viv Richards who was tearing apart Indian bowling in the brief stay of 28 balls to get 33 runs.
The catch, even by today’s standards, would be of the finest – as it displayed athleticism, belief, and coolness under pressure.
Balwinder Sandhu sparked hope by getting Greenidge early.
However, Viv Richards began to dismantle Indian bowlers all over at one stage it looked match would get over before the tea break.
But the catch which is engraved in the memories of all Indians until date changed the tide of the game.
Despite Dujjon-Marshal brief partnership of 43 runs, it was a matter of time as Kapil’s Tigers would get their hands on the coveted World Cup.
The win changed the way Indian team was looked at, as they would go on to become the most feared team, notching several high-profile wins later.
The country also ended up producing cricketing greats such as Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly who always mention how the 1983 World Cup inspired them.
Another World Cup win again wouldn’t come until 28 years later when MS Dhoni and company would do it at their home ground in 2011.
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