India’s limited-overs cricket received a shot in the arm when the team, dubbed ‘Kapil’s Devils’, marched to a sensational World Cup triumph at Lord’s in 1983. It set off a belief among the other teams that they, too, can dream of winning cricket’s showpiece event.
Madan Lal, a member of the 1983 World Cup squad, looks back at the memorable 1983 campaign.
What was the driving force behind India’s iconic victory in 1983?
We did not have any pressure, and every player wanted to perform. Playing for the country was a matter of great pride, so we wanted to take things in our stride and put our best foot forward. In the previous two World Cups — in 1975 and 1979 — we did not have a good record, so all of us wanted to play some quality cricket without thinking too much about the results. That strategy worked for us. We did not expect to go that far and win the title, but we kept trying harder and harder after every game.
Even in the final, there was no pressure, and that’s why we could win it. We had a good team—the bowlers could handle situations, and the batters were world-class—but the only thing was to click at the right time. And I am glad that happened. In each game, someone stood up and took the team out of the woods. In such a big tournament, you can’t win unless the whole team performs, and that was the driving force.
READ | 1983 Cricket World Cup Special, Prudential World Cup
According to you, what was that particular moment when things turned India’s way?
Reaching the final was that moment! We never thought we would reach the final, but when we did, all of us decided to give it our best shot. While we were not overburdened with any pressure, we were also praying, ‘ ke yaar jeet jaayein toh achha hoga…’ That kept us going. We had great camaraderie. Most of us were senior players, and we knew our jobs well. The fact that we played a lot of cricket together meant that we were aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. So, as a bowling unit, we knew what would be the perfect line and length in the English conditions, and those experiences helped us during the tournament.
In the final, you claimed the wicket of Vivian Richards. Do you feel that was the turning point of the game?
No. I think the last couple of wickets turned things around. Even after Richards fell, the lower middle order managed to forge small partnerships, and since the total was not much, we could not be 100 per cent sure. Cricket being a game of glorious uncertainties, we were not sure if the last-wicket partnership between (Michael) Holding and Joel Garner would bounce back. So, it was only after Holding was dismissed that we could breathe easy.
What was the one change that India’s 1983 victory brought to world cricket?
After our win, smaller teams started believing that if India could tame the West Indies and win the World Cup, so could we. That was evident in the way Pakistan and Sri Lanka won the title in later years. We ended the West Indies’ dominance in world cricket, and ever since, the tournament has seen so many new winners. That’s a great thing for cricket.
Our victory also encouraged the younger generation of Indian cricketers, and as a captain, Kapil Dev was a leader who could lead from the front and motivate one and all. If the leader has confidence in the players, then all of them will give their best, and that’s what happened to us.
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