1983 was no ordinary year for India.
While N.T. Rama Rao triumphed in Andhra Pradesh on the one hand, noted dacoit Phoolan Devi’s surrender made international news on the other hand.
This was also a year where Michael Jackson, Prince, and James Brown- now, if you think about it, then a belated troika of musical geniuses- took to the stage together for the first time ever.
But miles apart from the sub-continent or America, there was also a mega event that took place. With the 2019 World Cup barely a few hours away from the start, how can we possibly forget this particular event?
The 1983 world cup.
In the 1983 World cup, something so unprecedented happened that it would go on to change the context and impression of Indian Cricket for times to come.
This was to be no ordinary year for Indian Cricket. This was the team’s crowning moment.
June 25, the cricketing fraternity was about to witness a World Cup final of its own kind and stature between two nations who had, by that time made a mark on the map of World Cricket. While the Indian Cricket Team boasted of players like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Mohinder Amarnath; the West Indies Cricket Team had the likes of Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Sir Viv Richards, and Clive Lloyd.
India had already defeated West Indies in the group stages of the tournament but the cricketing pundits had, without doubt, placed their bets on the mighty West Indies. West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl first. The promising bowling attack of the Caribbeans’ was already a nightmare during those days which came true on the eve of the finals, restricting India to a total of 183.
With a “not-so fierce” bowling attack, Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath, and Kapil Dev had to step up in this situation and make the most of the conditions.
Just when the second wicket partnership between Sir Viv Richards and Desmond Haynes looked strong, it was a catch that led West Indies to a historic downfall. Sir Viv Richards hit a fine delivery bowled by Madan Lal towards deep square leg and the crowd erupted in a loud cheer; only to witness Kapil Dev taking a catch of the century. To this day, “THE” catch isn’t considered to be an ordinary catch but a catch that changed the entire threshold of the 1983 World Cup Final.
The entire batting line up of the West Indies Cricket Team suffered a collapse thereafter and it was none other than Mohinder Amarnath who clinched the final wicket of Michael Holding and raced towards the pavilion. India lifted it’s first ever cricketing World Cup and the rest is history.
We are heading to the CWC-2019 and in all these years, there might have been good catches taken by cricketers in a World Cup event but if there is one catch which has changed fortunes for a team, it has to be Kapil Dev’s catch which led India to it’s maiden WC trophy.
