The 1983 ODI world cup changed Cricket in India forever. Team India did the unthinkable in the tournament – Winning the Cup. It’s been 40 years since we won the world cup. It was possible due to the belief Kapil Dev had in his men. Every player had their flashes of brilliance at some point in the tournament. Here are some of the most memorable individual performances that stood out in the tournament.
3. Yashpal Sharma‘s 89 against West Indies.
It was India’s first game of the tournament. Coming into the match, India had won just a game in two world cups and hadn’t won an ODI against West Indies till then. Batting first, India was in trouble after getting reduced to 76/3. That’s when Yashpal Sharma walked in. As Sandeep Patil was going well at the other end, Yashpal took his time. After getting settled, he unleashed himself against the deadly pace quartet of West Indies.
Wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end. But Yashpal kept on batting and frustrated the bowlers. He made a fluent 89 in 120 deliveries, which was the highest individual score for an Indian batter in an ODI world cup match till then. His knock helped India to post a challenging total of 262 on the board. India eventually won the match and stunned the cricket world by registering their first-ever ODI win against West Indies.
2. Mohinder Amarnath‘s 2/27 and 46 against England.
It was the first-ever appearance of Team India in a world cup knockout game. India was up against the home side of England. Batting first, England’s openers laid a good platform for their innings by scoring 69 runs for the first wicket. Roger Binny dismissed both the openers in quick time and put pressure back on England.
Mohinder Amarnath then bowled a brilliant spell. In his 12 overs, he conceded just 27 runs and claimed the wickets of David Gower and Mike Gatting. England posted 213 runs in their 60 overs. Chasing 214, England had India at 46/1. Mohinder Amarnath entered the middle and blunted down the opposition. With his defensive batting, he ensured that India didn’t suffer any troubles. He scored 46 and did the job of anchoring the chase. India went on to win the semifinals. Mohinder Amarnath got the Man of the Match award for his all-round performances.
1. Kapil Dev’s 175* and 1/25 against Zimbabwe.
It was a must-win game for India against Zimbabwe to stay alive in the tournament. On a green pitch in Tunbridge Wells, India was asked to bat first. India found themselves at 9/4, thanks to the pace duo of Peter Rawson and Kevin Curran. That’s when Kapil Dev entered the middle. India lost their fifth wicket for just 17 runs and was in deep trouble. Kapil framed a 60-run partnership with Roger Binny for the sixth wicket. Binny and Ravi Shastri were undone in a quick time. The score was still 78/7. For the eighth wicket, Kapil framed a 62-run partnership with Madan Lal. For the ninth wicket, Kapil framed a 126-run partnership with Syed Kirmani.
In all the partnerships, Kapil scored the bulk of the runs. He scored a marathon hundred and created a sensation among the cricket fraternity. It was the first hundred by an Indian batter in ODIs and the highest individual score in ODIs till then. He scored nearly 69% of the team’s runs by himself. With the ball, he bowled 11 overs and picked a wicket. He also claimed a couple of catches as a fielder. India won the match by 31 runs. To date, it’s considered to be one of the greatest performances by an individual in ODIs.
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