HomeCricketWorld Cup Flashback: 1983 Final

World Cup Flashback: 1983 Final

- Advertisement -

25th June 1983 saw one of the miraculous incidents getting unfolded at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s. Two times World Cup Champions were defeated by an underdog and the result shook the world cricket.

The Show Begins

The contestants like the previous two editions were divided into two groups in the 1983 World Cup as well. This time each team had to face all other teams twice. Group A had England, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. England and Pakistan made it to the next stage. Pakistan and New Zealand had the same points but Pakistan went ahead by superior run rate.
Group B had India, West Indies, Australia, and Zimbabwe. West Indies qualified as expected. But Australia failed to register the required number of wins. With four wins out the six games, India qualified to the semi-final as the second best team of the group stage.

- Advertisement -

The Turning Point

India’s match against Zimbabwe gave Indian team the momentum they badly needed. Kapil Dev walked in with the team score on 17/5. It was a must-win situation for India. They had to win their two remaining matches to qualify. Kapil’s 175 off 138 won the match for the underdogs. Moreover, this game boosted their morale and they went on to punch the mighty Aussies in their next. As a result, India with hardly anyone backing them went to the semi-finals of 1983 World Cup.
Allrounder_1983

The Journey to Finale

The first semi-finals saw Kapil Dev once again rising to the occasion and scalping three major wickets of England to end their innings on 213. Indian chased the score successfully with five overs to spare. This was another shocker as England were a far better team and expected to play the final against the West Indies. But the Indian side was determined to prove them in front of the cricket world. They way they kept delivering good results since the Zimbabwe match, it made the billions dream for a big cricket moment for the first time.
The second semi-final ended in the expected line. West Indies had a thumping win over Pakistan by eight wickets. West Indies were looking as dangerous as ever to seal their hat-trick in the World Cup.

The Climax

This was the third consecutive time Lord’s was hosting the World Cup final. This was the third consecutive time West Indies were in the finale of the tournament. And this was the very first time some ‘minnows’ entered the biggest stage of the mega event.
Indians back home were getting ready for the celebration. They had doubts but they started to play for the biggest moment. On the other hand, the experts in the cricketing circuit were still trying to absorb whatever happened. And they were sure of Indians were lucky to reach the final. The supports were with the defending Champions on 25th June 1983.
India batted first only to be smashed by the likes of Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, and Michael Holding. Kris Srikkanth tried to contribute with 38 off 52 with seven fours and one six, it wasn’t enough. Indians were all out for 183 in 55 overs and the countdown began for another brilliant West Indies chase.

The Caribbean team was the best chasing team at that moment. It was just a matter of time for them to lift that trophy yet again. What followed next changed the dimension of Indian cricket forever.
An outswinger from Balwinder Sandhu gave the initial blow to the Windies. Then it was a Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal show. They ran through the entire West Indies batting line up and picked up three wickets each. The highest individual score for the Windies came from Viv Richards. But even his effort was finished when he was pouched by Kapil. That catch is one of the best in the history of World Cup as Kapil ran backward from the Mid-wicket for at around 100 meters to take that catch. Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall tried to put some resistance at the end but eventually, West Indies lost the match by 43 runs.
Some still call it ‘upset’, ‘fluke’, ‘miracle’. But the way Indians shaped them for the victory, those efforts cannot be ignored. The impact it had on Indian cricket and eventually on global cricket is phenomenal.

- Advertisement -

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -