India beat the West Indies by 43 runs in the final at Lord’s to win the 1983 World Cup. The report originally appeared in the 1984 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
World Cup final: India v West Indies at Lord’s, June 25, 1983
Toss: West Indies. India won with his margin of 43 points.
India defeated on merit the firm favourites, winning a low-scoring match by 43 runs. It was an absorbing game of increasing drama and finally of much emotion. The result, as surprising as, on the day, it was convincing, had much to do with the mental pressures of containment in limited-overs cricket.
After defeating Gavaskar in the early stages, Amarnath scored 26 innings consistently against the fast bowling of his opponents, took three West Indian wickets in the closing stages, and was named Man of the Year by Mike Brearley. Although he was selected for the match, Dujon’s performance was especially significant. Dujon and Marshall lifted the West Indies from 76-6, needing 184 runs for victory, to 119-6, but this recovery was built on the calm application of sound batting principles, and all this There was a fear that it would produce the results that everyone expected after it was over.
Dressed like a noble lady, sun-kissed and a packed house, Lord’s was at its best when Lloyd won the toss and invited India to bat. It appeared to be a clear advantage for the fast bowlers in his side. Morning life at the lord’s gate tends to be luxurious. Now he has not lost the ability to move from the center. This was crucial for Madan Lal and Sandhu’s medium-paced attack later in the day, which eliminated the best of the West Indian batting line-up. Vinny’s seemingly harmless attack caused Lloyd to become dangerous.
The match started with a bang, with Garner throwing the ball chest-high to the off-stump line. Roberts was fast but flat and caught Gavaskar with a wicket in the third over. Repelling such an attack was a problem, but Srikanth showed how it could be done. He hooked Roberts in four, dragged him in six, and drove him into the confines of the tavern like a pistol shot. Freed from the constraints of speed, Yashpal sent Gomez’s slow spin high and wide offside, but it went straight to cover the goal. At lunch, India were 100-4. Kapil Dev then lost his life with a long-on and Patil lost his concentration. Madanlal, Kirmani and Sandhu added his 31 points in the closing stages, but India’s total of 183 points seemed to be too little.
West Indies got off to a bad start. Greenwich was trotted towards the traitorous Sandu. But Richards quickly and easily racked up a total of 50 points. Then, when he was on 33, he missed a catch and Kapil Dev took a brilliant catch over his shoulder and ran back to the midwicket line. Madan Lal followed with two more quick wickets, that of Haynes and Gomez. All three players gave up six runs on 19 pitches. Lloyd drove Vinnie to middle and Bacchus was caught by the wicket shortly after tee. It was up to Amarnath to break the partnership between Dujon and Marshall, and he did so in the nick of time. India were an interesting and well-coordinated team that learned and grew on the way to the final.
The number of visitors was 24,609 including members.
Player of this match: Mohinder Amarnath.
