40 years ago: India’s giant step towards 1983 glory

Yashpal Sharma (L), Sandeep Patil (R) (Pic/Getty Images)

FORTY years ago today, India took a giant step towards their 1983 World Cup triumph.

Manchester is where they clashed with hosts England in the semi-finals. Even though India had no international win over England at Old Trafford since they first played Test cricket there in 1936, it was not a disastrous venue for the Indians.

For, the 1936 and 1946 Tests ended in draws. Syed Mushtaq Ali and Merchant carved hundreds in the second innings of the 1936 Test. England won in 1952 and 1959 while the 1971 Test was drawn. Then came the 1974 Test where Sunil Gavaskar's fine hundred in challenging pitch and weather conditions went in vain.

It was here that Kapil Dev's team got their 1983 World Cup campaign to a winning start as defending champions West Indies lost their first-ever World Cup game on June 9.

England were considered favourites but they ended up with only 213 with Kapil Dev (3-35), Roger Binny (2-43) and Mohinder Amarnath (2-27) frustrating their batting order which included some big names like David Gower, Allan Lamb, Mike Gatting and the highly accomplished Ian Botham.

The destructive all-rounder (6) was bowled by Kirti Azad off a ball that kept low while Gower perished for 17 through a low catch by Syed Kirmani off Binny.

Lamb was forced to return to the pavilion when Yashpal Sharma had him run out through a splendid piece of fielding. Tailender Graham Dilley's 20 helped England get to 213 which was not going to trouble the Indian batsmen too much. Sunil Gavaskar and K Srikkanth put on 46 for the first wicket - India's best opening stand of the tournament. Gavaskar was the first to depart. In came Amarnath and scored 46 before being run out with the scoreboard reading 142. Yashpal Sharma, who had been consistent throughout the tournament, smashed 61 and Sandeep Patil, getting to his second half century of the tournament (51), stayed till the end of the six-wicket win.

"A risky second run, quite unnecessary in the circumstances, ended the partnership (of 92 between Yashpal and Amarnath). But Patil, with a cascade of volatile drives, rapidly closed the gap. Yashpal and he were India's highest-scoring batsmen but Amarnath's all-round contribution won him the Man of the match award," wrote Dicky Rutnagur in Wisden Cricket Monthly.

Further glory followed three days later when India stunned the world with their win over the mighty West Indies in the final on June 25.

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