Cricket World Cup History: Reliving India's journey to the 1983 World Cup triumph
There are some instances in sporting history that would be remembered forever. One such occasion was on June 25th 1983 as Indian skipper Kapil Dev lifted the prestigious World Cup on the Lord's balcony.
India started its campaign as unfancied underdogs in the tournament. It was undoubtedly one of international cricket's biggest moments when the seemingly invincible and two-time champions West Indies were dethroned by Kapil Dev's men.
The competition was against the cream of international cricket of that era- Sir Vivian Richards- undoubtedly one of the finest batsman in world cricket, the menacing pacemen in Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall and Deniss Lillee, the elegant Ian Botham and Pakistan's run machine, Javed Miandad.
Against these legends, India's chances were slightly lesser with Sunil Gavaskar and Amarnath bound to assume scoring duties and a match-winning all-rounder like Kapil Dev. With some attacking leadership and an enthusiastic approach, Kapil Dev led India to the country's first ever World Cup triumph.
As we march towards the 36th anniversary of India's first World Cup triumph, here is a rewind of India's World Cup winning campaign.
Jun 9-10: India vs West Indies, Manchester
India began their journey against the defending champions West Indies in Manchester. West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd won the toss and opted to bowl first.
India's innings was handled by some beautiful stroke-play from Yashpal Sharma. He scored a match-winning 89 off 120 balls to take India to a total of 262/8 in 60 overs. He was supported by Sandip Patil's 36 while Michael Holding was West Indies' key bowler with his 2/36.
West Indies failed to thrive under pressure while chasing a competitive total. None of their batsmen could convert their twenties into a big score as they were bowled out for 228 in 54 overs. Joel Garner and Andy Roberts were the highest scorers with 37 runs each. Roger Binny and Ravi Shastri took three wickets each for India as India celebrated a 34-run win.
Yashpal Sharma was awarded the 'Man of the Match' award for his terrific effort with the bat.
Also read - World cup all time records