India’s 1983 World Cup triumph: Where were you when Kapil’s Devils made history?

India’s 1983 World Cup triumph: Where were you when Kapil’s Devils made history?

India’s 1983 World Cup win was a historic moment in the game’s tradition. It was the makings of a new superpower in the world of cricket. It added a chapter to a long list of famous underdog stories sports across the world has and it give India the audacity to dream.

Several people watched Kapil Dev and his boys make history by defeating the mighty West Indies in the final at Lord’s – some at the venue itself, others on their television screens or on the radio.

Sportstar revisits the magnitude of that historic triumph through a few such testimonies.

Shrikant M Vaidya, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation Limited

G Viswanath, sports journalist

Time flies. I wish I was 27 years again. 40 years, it’s been. Time flies. Talking in particular about the photograph – the picture was sent to me by Rohan Gavaskar. He dropped me a message asking me if I was at the World Cup in ‘83 and then sent me this asking if it’s me. Cricket has changed so much, organisation of matches has changed so much. I was three years into the profession and working for Sportsweek, a year before I joined The Hindu. These days you have the Players and Matchday Officials Area – PMOA. Nobody has access to the dressing room. But imagine entering the Lord’s dressing room in today’s age. It is unimaginable. Back then, after the win, we were walking around looking for where the press conference was going to be held. There are quite a few other journalists in that photograph along with me.

Journalist G Viswanath was in the dressing room after India won its maiden World Cup in 1983.

For me to enter the Lord’s press box and dressing room spaces, India had to first make it to the final. The press box capacity was around 60 then. Fortunately, India did and I got the accreditation. Inside the dressing room, the Indian cricketers were taking a moment to admire the trophy they had won.

All the players were so happy. So many people were inside, a security situation you cannot imagine these days. The press conference took place in the dressing room. Around five to six journalists were there, I was one of them. I also got to go to the West Indies dressing room. Obviously they were really disappointed. Their first World Cup loss was at Old Trafford in ‘83. They had won everything else comfortably. So the disappointment was palpable. Clive Lloyd, who was nursing a groin injury, said the pitch was not ideal for one-day cricket. Whereas Kapil Dev, if I remember correctly, said there was nothing wrong with the pitch.

All Indian journalists believed that Clive Lloyd’s West Indies will win the World Cup. Even before we left for England, the Indian team was staying at the Garware Club House. PR Man Singh was the manager of the team. I went and met him to ask him a question about something Australian skipper Kim Hughes said. After India beat West Indies in one of the bilateral games before the World Cup, Hughes said that India could be the dark horse. IK was too young to understand those things. Man Singh said he was happy to learn that the Aussie skipper had said something like that. We travelled confident in the strength of the Windies attack. Look at the bowling. Who thought they could be beaten? It was the third and last World Cup to be played over 60 overs. India won defending 183, my God.

Kiran Nadar, philantrophist and art collector

Kiran Nadar

Kiran Nadar

 I was there for almost the whole World Cup. I came after the first game that we lost to the West Indies. I saw Kapil’s 175* at Tunbridge Wells. And while you couldn’t go to the dressing room, I was certainly on the ground during the prize distribution, and then we went back to the hotel. The celebrations were at the hotel. And I was a part of all that. I was there at Tunbridge Wells too. There was no television there. There was a TV strike or something, BBC was on strike. So, there was no footage, so to be there and see that ending itself was quite an experience. I remember 17 for five. I remember when Madan Lal got out. So, I remember 17 for five in my mind very strongly because they were falling like ninepins and we also knew that if we lose to Zimbabwe, we’re not going to qualify. So, it was very important to find some respite from all that. Yeah, I remember Kapil’s innings because it was absolutely outstanding.  Coming out of that kind of situation itself was a great reaffirmation that this team is capable of anything. I mean, we were in the dumps. And to come out of that was a complete miracle, really. And I think it gave a lot of positive vibes to all the spectators.

Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev with his wife Romi Dev, at a party organised by Air India, official sponsors of Indian cricket team, in Durban, South Africa on December 18, 1992. The Nadars became close friends with Kapil Dev and his family over the years.

Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev with his wife Romi Dev, at a party organised by Air India, official sponsors of Indian cricket team, in Durban, South Africa on December 18, 1992. The Nadars became close friends with Kapil Dev and his family over the years.
| Photo Credit:
V.V. Krishnan

You just knew we were the underdogs. We got all out for 183. That itself was again very, very disheartening. But you know, it’s very strange… that match for me… because I had a sixth sense on that. We were sitting. I mean, Kapil’s wife Romi and Madan’s (Madan Lal’s wife Anu), we were all sitting in the same area and Madan was getting thrashed by Viv Richards. Both Romi and Anu got up and they left. They left the ground. And then, Kapil took that magical catch of Viv Richards. And things started to turn, but I had… I mean, whatever I was saying was happening. I said they (WI) will be 140 all out. And they were 140 all out. Of course, it is wishful thinking but whatever I thought of happened that day. So that was very magical. 

I haven’t got any keepsake. I’ve got my memories in my mind, and I have a great friendship with Kapil and Romi, which will be there for many, many years. I think a lifetime. We’re very close. I think that match made it important for me to start watching cricket as a regular. 

(More to follow. Watch this space)

Compiled by Lavanya Lakshminarayanan, Santadeep Dey and Nihit Sachdeva with inputs from Sahil Mathur.

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