Today is the 40th anniversary of the most important landmark in Indian cricket – the 1983 World Cup victory, where the Men in Blue beat the reigning champions West Indies to clinch its first-ever World Cup title.The Indian team – led by the enigmatic Kapil Dev – was only given 66-1 odds to beat West Indies, which had won the previous two World Cups. However, a man-of-the-match performance by Mohinder Amarnath secured a comfortable victory for the underdogs, paving the way for the eventual rise of Indian cricket.India won the World Cup despite being given no chanceIndias victory over West Indies in the final was as unexpected as it was earth-shattering – both for the Indian team and the cricketing experts. In fact, few people gave India a chance of lifting the trophy.The bookmakers gave a 66-1 odds of India winning against the mighty West Indies, a team which boasted Vivian Richards, Clive Loyd, Malcolm Marshall, and other heavyweights. The Windies arguably had the strongest bowling line-up in world cricket. Sir Viv Richards was considered one of the, if not the, best cricketers of his generation. This is the West Indies team that won the World Cups in both 1975 and 1979.Compared to that, the Indian team featured Kapil Dev, Amarnath, Roger Binny, Ravi Shastri, Gavaskar, Syed Kirmani, and others. Except for Kapil Dev, the captain, there were no bonafide stars in the team. This team had won only one match across the previous two world cups. Even Kirti Azad, a member of the team, termed their campaign a free holiday.Kapil Dev inspired Indian team to World Cup historyIn the improbable final between India and West Indies, India beat West Indies by 43 runs. This was even though India scored just 183 runs before they lost all 10 wickets. Leading players such as Gavaskar (2 runs), Kapil Dev (15 runs) and others were disappointed.1983 World Cup Final highlights.Kapil Devs running catch to dismiss Viv Richards was the turning point! pic.twitter.com/7vs9kZj6HU— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 25, 2023However, the incredible spirit garnered by Kapil Devs captaincy rallied the team behind a common goal. An excellent bowling performance by Mohinder Amarnath (3/12) meant that the mighty West Indies batting lineup fell within 52 overs, scoring a meagre 140 runs.India had won, and Indian cricket was forever changed. India would go on to add another ODI World Cup to its tally, and the team is now considered a powerhouse in the cricketing world.It all started 40 years ago, with a smiling Kapil Dev lifting the trophy at the Lords Cricket Ground, an image that will forever be etched in the memory of every cricket lover in the country.
