It was 35 years ago that Kapil Dev played that explosive innings in the World Cup. Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh's book 'The Big Book of World Cup Cricket'

Fantasy knock by Kapil Dev

NEVILL GROUND, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

18 JUNE 1983

This was the quintessential One-day innings. As India found themselves in deep trouble against a razor-sharp Zimbabwe side, skipper Kapil Dev strode in and played one of the greatest knocks in the history of One-day cricket. Kapil Dev ranks among the best allrounders the game has known. Yet he was a far more talented batsman than his records indicate. This innings showed exactly why.

It was a lively wicket at the Nevill Ground and the Zimbabwean pacemen Peter Rawson and Kevin Curran exploited it to the hilt. Sunil Gavaskar was leg-before to Rawson for a duck: zero for one. Krish Srikkanth was caught by Iain Butchart off Curran, also for a duck: 6 for two. Mohinder Amarnath was taken behind off Rawson for 5: 6 for three. Sandeep Patil was dismissed similarly off Curran for 1: 9 for four. Wicketkeeper David Houghton completed his third consecutive dismissal as he caught Yashpal Sharma off Rawson for 9: 17 for five; and it was an unprecedented calamity for India.

Roger Binny now joined Kapil Dev, and the skipper decided it was no time for half-baked measures. He launched a blitzkrieg. Binny was a resilient partner, and he helped his captain add 60 for the sixth wicket. Binny fell leg-before to John Traicos for 22. It was now 77 for six. Ravi Shastri scored only 1 before Duncan Fletcher had him caught by Andy Pycroft. India were precariously placed at 78 for seven.

Madan Lal came in now, and his role was limited to keeping his wicket intact while Kapil Dev was on the rampage. Kapil attacked in his inimitable style, hitting the ball to all parts of the ground. He drove, off the front foot and the back, through the gaps into the fence. Anything short was cut ferociously. If the ball was anywhere near, or outside, the leg-stump, Kapil would swivel in a flash and, as was his wont with his left leg bent in the manner of Lord Shiva, smite the ball anywhere in the region between mid-wicket and fine-leg.

Kapil Dev was a master in the art of lofting the ball out of the ground. One step forward - and bang - with perfect timing, and the ball would next be seen sailing high up in the distance. It was Kapil at his swashbuckling best. Madan Lal, no mean hitter of the ball himself when the bowling was less than genuinely quick, was left applauding for the most part. Madan Lal scored 17 before he was caught by Houghton off Curran. He had helped Kapil add 62 for the eighth wicket.

Syed Kirmani came in at 140 for eight, and now Kapil really let himself go. There was a shower of fours and sixes. Kapil blazed to his century off 100 balls. The pair added 126 runs before the overs ran out. Kirmani's contribution was 24 not out. Kapil remained undefeated with 175 off a mere 138 balls, which broke Glenn Turner's World Cup record score of 171 against East Africa in 1975.

Kapil had batted for a mere three hours, and hit 16 fours and 6 sixes - a round 100 in boundaries - in a stupendous innings which will never be forgotten. Zimbabwe, as they often did, went down fighting. But Kapil Dev had obliterated everything in the blazing morning's play. It was an innings of rare brilliance, the like of which is seen perhaps once in a decade. After this, Kapil's team never looked back and went on to wrest the title, creating one of the most stunning upsets in history. Hail Kapil Dev.

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket is available at an attractive price on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166840

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011

ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3

Published in India by Sporting Links, 2011

Hardbound with jacket

Pages: 544

Fully Illustrated

On this day in 1975, was played one of the most exciting cricket World Cup matches. Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh's book 'The Big Book of World Cup Cricket'

Dramatic last-wicket stand

PAKISTAN v WEST INDIES  • EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM, 11 JUNE 1975

Deryck Murray.....the resilient gloveman played a stellar role with the willow.

The great paceman Andy Roberts could wield the long handle but this was an amazing effort.

     This was the quintessential One-day match, the kind its founding fathers would have envisaged. Fortunes fluctuated wildly, and with just three deliveries remaining the outcome hung in the balance. The favourites were on the ropes, with the challengers poised for a long time, trying to deliver the knockout punch. This match has gone into the annals as one of the most exciting.

Pakistan elected to bat and steadily built up a formidable score. The innate lazy elegance of Majid Khan, deputising for skipper Asif Iqbal, was in full evidence as he played a strokeful knock of 60. Mushtaq Mohammed drew on all his experience, and later Wasim Raja played some belligerent shots, both hitting up half-centuries.

The talented Pakistanis set a challenging target of 267 in 60 overs for the fancied West Indies. This was just the spur for the temperamental giant Safraz Nawaz to put pressure on the West Indies. In a devastating burst he demolished the top order. Gordon Greenidge and Alvin Kallicharran were caught behind and Roy Fredericks was trapped in front of the stumps. Sarfraz had taken three for 8 in 3.4 overs. Veteran Rohan Kanhai helped his captain Clive Lloyd stage a minor recovery.

Then began a regular procession. At 166 for eight, with only wicketkeeper Deryck Murray and two tail-end pacemen left, an upset win for Pakistan seemed a certainty. The West Indies had long been rated as a team of brilliant players but often incapable of applying themselves under pressure. On this occasion Deryck Murray dug in his heels. He found an able ally in Vanburn Holder. They put on 37 runs for the ninth wicket. But just when the partnership was assuming ominous proportions, the wily Sarfraz returned to have Holder snapped up. At 203 for nine, surely it was all over bar the shouting. The sight of the phlegmatic Andy Roberts emerging from the pavilion could not have inspired much confidence among the Caribbean supporters.

Amazingly, the West Indies were not ready to call it a day. Run-by-run they inched towards their target. As they survived over-after-agonising-over, a tiny ray of hope began to emerge. For the Pakistanis it became increasingly frustrating, and as the crucial final overs approached, the alarm bells were ringing loudly. Murray and Roberts displayed admirable composure as they steadily chipped away. Leg-spinner Wasim Raja came on to bowl the final over in a desperate bid to coerce last man Roberts to miscue. The fast bowler was in no mood to fall into the trap with the goal so close at hand. He pushed the fourth ball to mid-wicket to pull off a sensational win for the West Indies.

A one-wicket victory with two balls to spare, and that as a result of an unbroken last-wicket stand of 64; it was not a match for the faint-hearted. Former England captain Tony Lewis wrote: "It was a superb triumph for the game of cricket which manages many things which politicians envy." As for the heroes, take your pick : Murray, Sarfraz or Roberts.

Pakistan          : 266 for 7 wickets (60 overs)

West Indies     : 267 for 9 wickets (59.4 overs)


The Big Book of World Cup Cricket is available at an attractive price on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166840

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket

Published in India by Sporting Links

Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com 

The cricket World Cup began on this day, 7th June, 43 years ago

The cricket World Cup began on 7^th June 1975.

So what was the first day of the tournament, then known as Prudential World Cup like? Four matches were played simultaneously at Lord’s, Edgbaston, Headingley and Old Trafford.

All the four winning teams on that day put up half-century opening partnerships, and all four of these sides - England, New Zealand, Australia and the West Indies - eventually advanced to the semi-finals. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, lost 8 wickets before they reached fifty.

It was a day of contrasting fortunes for the captains. New Zealand skipper Glenn Turner hit up an unbeaten 171, which was to remain the highest score in the World Cup until Indian captain Kapil Dev eclipsed it in 1983. But Sri Lankan skipper Anura Tennekoon had the mortification of registering the first duck of the World Cup. East Africa captain Harilal Shah was also dismissed for nought on that opening day.

Another hundred was hit up on this historic occasion by England opener Dennis Amiss who scored 137.

To complete a splendid picture there was a five-wicket haul too, by legendary Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee who bagged five for 34 off his 12 overs.

West Indies left-arm seamer Bernard Julien, though, earned the distinction of bagging the first four-wicket haul as he took four for 20.

The twelfth cricket World Cup starts on 30^th May 2019 in England, where it all began 43 years ago.

Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘The Big Book of World Cup Cricket’ provides comprehensive coverage and photographs of this showpiece event right since its inception.

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket is available at an attractive price on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166840