Caribbean hurricane in India: Clive Lloyd's revenge series

The Cup than changed the script

Kapil's Devils took the world by storm

At the start of the 1983 World Cup, the question was, which of the teams had it in them to challenge the Caribbean kings.

Australia were far from their best and a team divided, still grappling with the consequences of the rebellious World Series Cricket introduced by Kerry Packer. England and Pakistan were the teams who looked capable of challenging the dominance of the Caribbeans. Pakistan had made it to the semi-finals in 1979 where they lost to the world champions.

Kapil's Devils stun the world

In the fourth match of the tournament, West Indies faced India in a league match. Batting first, India put up a total of 262/8 with Yashpal Sharma scoring 89. Roger Binny whose swing bowling flourished in English conditions, picked up three wickets to help India bowl the champions out for 228.

Kapil Dev's India had beaten the world's best cricketing side in the World Cup.

While Indian cricket fans were ecstatic, the rest of the world was stunned. Was the win just a flash in the pan?

The format of the Cup was such that all teams in the group played each other twice. In the second league match between the two sides, Richards scored a century and West Indies set the record straight, beating India by 66 runs. Sanity, it seemed, had been restored but not for long.

Underdogs India got the better of Australia and England to reach the World Cup finals, much to the amazement of the cricketing fraternity. In the finals, India faced a team aiming to win their third successive title. It was no surprise as to who the favorites were. What followed, however, was epic for one side and tragic for the other.

The defending champions of 1975 and 1979 were unable to chase a modest total of 183 in 60 overs. Madan Lal claimed the wickets of Desmond Haynes, Richards, and Larry Gomes. Mohinder Amarnath ended up taking three wickets off his seven overs giving away just twelve runs.

India bowled Clive Lloyd's team out for 140 runs and were the new champions of the world.

Madan Lal, Roger Binny, and Mohinder Amarnath were medium pacers and not renowned strike bowlers like their West Indian counterparts.

Yet, in English conditions, on a green top, these very bowlers turned the tide in India's favor.

On June 25, 1932, India had played their first Test in Lords. Fifty-one years later, on the same ground and on the same date, India made history.

The defeat hurt the Caribbean team badly. West Indies were a far superior team in all respects. Captain Clive Lloyd was a great competitor and determined to prove that West Indies were still the best.

Thus, later the same year, West Indies toured India with a mission. To prove to the world and to themselves that they were still the greatest side.