The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup was the third edition of the premier ODI format in international cricket. With the tournament comprising eight teams, the sides were split into two groups, with each team facing their opponents in their respective group twice.
Defending champions West Indies entered the tournament as favourites, but it was the Indian team led by Kapil Dev that would shock the world. Forty years on, here is how their journey went.
India entered the 1983 World Cup having won one of their six games in World Cup history. And that victory came against East Africa, a team that would not feature come the 1983 edition. The West Indies had not lost a World Cup match in their history. All the odds were against the Indians.
Things took a turn for the worse when they were sent in to bat and face the fearsome quartet of lean and mean fast bowlers the West Indies possessed.
While the Indian batting line-up showed glimpses of fight, it was Yashpal Sharma (89 off 120) who helped the Indians put up a respectable score of 8/262 in their allocated 60 overs.
West Indies’ batters never got going, with Vivian Richards departing for 17 as the West Indians fell to 9/157. Andy Roberts (37* off 58) and Joel Garner (37 off 29) put up a last-wicket stand of 71, but it was future Indian coach Ravi Shastri who got Garner stumped – leading to India winning by 34 runs.
(Matt King/Cricket Australia/Getty Images
For India to beat a team outside of East Africa in World Cup history was huge. To hand the West Indies their first ever World Cup loss forced the world to have their eyes on India after conjuring up a massive upset.
Zimbabwe started off their debut World Cup campaign with a victory over favourites Australia, so they were no pushovers with the side consisting of the likes of Andy Pycroft, Duncan Fletcher and Kevin Curran.
India ran through the Zimbabwean lineup, with Roger Binny and Madan Lal having a field day with the ball as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 155 in the 52nd over. Sandeep Patil (50 off 54) and Mohinder Amarnath (44 off 79) led the way for a comfortable five-wicket victory for India within the 38th over.
From having just won one game in World Cup history, India had started their 1983 World Cup campaign with two victories. But the task was not going to get any easier.
Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Australia never put the brakes on with the bat. Graham Yallop (66* off 73) and Kim Hughes (52 off 86) impressed, but it was the underarm man Trevor Chappell (110 off 131) who went berserk with an impressive century as the Aussies posted 9/320.
India never got going in the run chase, with skipper Kapil Dev (40 off 27) entertaining the crowd with a cameo as India found themselves bowled out for 158. And that would not be the last time a Chappell hurt the Indian cricket team.
West Indies were desperate to get one back at the Indians for the past result less than a week ago. And boy did Viv Richards turn up. The West Indian legend scored an impressive 119 off 146 deliveries as the Windies scored 9/282.
Mohinder Amarnath (80 off 139) showed some great fight, but the Indians lost by 66 runs. To make things worse, Dilip Vengsarkar had injured his chin from a Malcolm Marshall bouncer. After a winning start, India found themselves in a do-or-die situation as they would face Zimbabwe next.
Facing elimination if they lost, all the pressure was on the Indians as they elected to bat first. The decision seemed to backfire as Kevin Curran and Peter Rawson put on a clinic with the new ball – India getting ready to pack their bags at 5/17. India needed a miracle to get them out of gaol.
And get out of gaol they did.
Kapil Dev bided his time at first with the Indian lower order supporting him, but India were still in all sorts at 8/140. With wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani refusing to give up his wicket without a fight, Dev started swinging his mongoose bat.
Boy, did it pay off. The Indian captain created history as he became the first Indian cricketer to score a century in ODI cricket. And it did not end there. Dev’s masterclass would see him finish at 175 not out off 138 balls, helping India get to 8/266 in 60 overs. His brutal knock consisted of 16 fours and six sixes. Probably some broken windows in nearby cars as well.
Kapil Dev and Mohinder Armanath celebrate with the World Cup in 1983. (Photo by Adrian Murrell/Allsport//Getty Images)
Despite a brave knock from Kevin Curran (73 off 93), India would go on to win by 31 runs.
India kept themselves alive in the 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup thanks to their captain. Defeating Australia by 118 runs in Chelmsford two days later, India booked themselves a semi-final berth against hosts England.
Having got their World Cup campaign back on track, the pressure was on India to continue their dream run and make the World Cup Final. Electing to bat first, England’s openers put on 69 runs for the opening stand. That would be all they could celebrate with the bat.
Roger Binny removed openers Graeme Fowler (33 off 59) and Chris Tavarè (32 off 51) soon after, before Kapil Dev’s three wickets ensured the English were bowled out for only 213. However, England still had runs on the board in a knockout game.
India’s openers failed to give them a good start once again, with the middle order being tasked to step up as usual. Mohinder Amarnath (46 off 92) and Yashpal Sharma (61 off 115) laid out the platform. But it was Sandeep Patil (51* off 32) who accelerated at the right time to ensure India won by six wickets in the 55th over.
Lord’s was waiting. And so were the West Indies.
This was it. David versus Goliath at the home of cricket. Could lightning strike twice and lead to Kapil Dev lifting the World Cup trophy? With the pace attack West Indies had, it would be unlikely. And it seemed unlikely for India to win when they were sent in to bat first at Lord’s.
Sunil Gavaskar’s horrid tournament continued as he was dismissed for 2. While Mohinder Amarnath (26 off 80) did all he could to not lose his wicket, his batting partner in Krishnamachari Srikkanth did everything he could to lose his.
Srikkanth had only played nine ODI matches before being called up to the 1983 World Cup squad. Having had an underwhelming tournament so far, the man they called Cheeka decided to flay his bat at anything outside off stump. Srikkanth would be dismissed for 38, but it was a cameo India needed.
Despite Cheeka’s knock on a tough pitch, India would be bowled out for an underwhelming 183. Victory was destined to be on West Indies’ side once again in an ICC Cricket World Cup Final.
India started well with an early wicket, but the game was far from over unless Vivian Richards was dismissed soon enough. Richards showed no respect to the run chase, flaying his bat at everything and taking Madan Lal to the cleaners. To Lal’s credit, he kept on going.
Racing to 33 off 27 deliveries, Richards would mistime one up in the air. Kapil Dev would take the chance and Richards was dismissed for 33.
West Indies were 3/57 and suddenly the Indians started believing. 3/57 soon became 6/76 as India had one hand on the trophy. Jeff Dujon (25 off 73) and Malcolm Marshall (18 off 51) put on 43 runs for the seventh wicket to put some nerves in the Indian dressing room. However, Mohinder Amarnath dismissed the pair in quick fashion to dispel any nerves.
Dev dismissed Andy Roberts as West Indies needed a miracle to chase down 184 from 9/126. As the required run rate started to creep over five runs per over, Amarnath would trap Michael Holding (6 off 24) LBW.
West Indies were bowled out for 140. India had climbed Mount Everest. The impossible had been achieved. India had won the 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup.
India were the first Asian nation to make a Cricket World Cup Final. And they did not let that opportunity pass. No one gave this squad a chance of winning a game, let alone lifting the cup. But it was the man from Haryana in Kapil Dev who made his playing squad believe before inspiring the whole of India alongside inspiring the next generation of Indian cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar.
India would not be the financial powerhouse they are without the building blocks of the class of 83. Thirty years later, India won another ICC tournament in England – the ICC Champions Trophy – against all odds.
The Indian Test squad finds themselves as underdogs against Australia in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final. If they can channel the belief of the 1983 squad, then perhaps they can create history in London.
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