When Kapil Dev stunned Zimbabwe and kickstarted India's dreamĀ
For a whole generation of cricketers and more, the heroes of the 1983 triumph, Kapil's Devils, were the pioneers of cricket's indelible imprint on the country's sporting history. The win, 35 years ago, was kickstarted, perhaps, by Kapil Dev's daring knock against Zimbabwe, a manner of batting that was unseen then by any Indian in the World Cup.
Here's revisiting the epic knock of 175* against Zimbabwe:
India's abysmal track record in the lead up to 1983
It was the era when the Indian side wasn't taking the one-day format seriously. In the World Cups before this, the Indians had performed poorly, winning just one game in two editions, against East Africa in 1975. They could not win a single game through the entire 1979 edition, even against Sri Lanka, minnows at that time, and yet to achieve Test status.
The game against Zimbabwe was a crucial one as the side was placed third in Group B, below West Indies and Australia in the points table. It had been a difficult few months in the lead-up to the World Cup, as Sunil Gavaskar was replaced by a 24-year-old rookie captain in Kapil Dev.