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Kapil’s Devils turn cricket world upside down

1983, Lord’s: World cricket was turned upside down on this glorious summer’s day at Lord’s when hot favourites and defending champions West Indies were toppled by rank outsiders India in a low-scoring thriller in their third straight ICC Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s. by R Prasad | Direct Link

In a stunning turn-around, India, bowled out for a meager 60-over score of 183 by the West Indies pace battery of Andy Roberts. Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall, bowled and fielded with rare zest to come up trumps by bundling out the holders for 140 and emerging victors by 43 runs.

When India batted first they struggled against the Caribbean pace attack in which Garner looked especially menacing with his ability to get steep bounce. Survival was difficult and in these conditions Krish Srikkanth played a fine knock of 38, in which a hooked six off Roberts and a square-driven four on bended knee stood out.

Mohinder Amarnath, who won the man of the match award for his fine all round show, made 26 and Sandeep Patil 27, but the total looked inadequate against the formidable West Indies batting line-up.

But Kapil Dev and his teammates stormed the West Indian bastion by bowling with purpose to pull off a victory that Ladbroke’s had offered 100 to 1 odds against at the beginning of the tournament.

Balwinder Sandhu made one dart back to knock back the off stump of Gordon Greenidge as the right-handed opener shouldered arms. But the early setback looked to be just a minor hiccup in the West Indians’ imperious march towards their third successive title when Desmond Haynes and a very aggressive Vivian Richards threatened to take the match away with a 45-run stand.

But medium-pacer Madan Lal struck two telling blows to dismiss Haynes for 11 and Richards for 33, through a superb, well-judged running catch by his captain Kapil Dev when the great batsman mistimed a pull shot.

West Indies suffered another blow when skipper Clive Lloyd pulled a leg muscle while taking a single that hampered his footwork and soon afterwards drove Roger Binny to Kapil Dev which left the holders wobbling at 66 for four.

After Larry Gomes and Fouad Bacchus were caught at slip and behind the wicket, Amarnath cut short the blossoming seventh wicket partnership between wicket keeper Jeff Dujon and Marshall before it could assume dangerous proportions.

Amarnath, with his gentle medium sent back both the batsmen and then fittingly triggered the victory celebrations by dismissing last man Holding to finish with an amazing 3 for 12 in 7 overs.