New Delhi June 25 : Remembering the 1983 World Cup triumph, former India all-rounder Kapil Dev on Thursday said that the tournament win made a big difference in the country as parents started inculcating values of sport in the minds of their children.
India had defeated West Indies in the finals of the 1983 World Cup to win their first 50-over World Cup. The Kapil Dev-led side was not given a chance by many people prior to the tournament, but in the end, the side defied all odds.
“I can say we were proud about our team, we made ourselves proud by winning the tournament, the World Cup win is a wonderful thing, because of that the entire nation celebrated,” Dev told ANI.
“I think any big achievement affects the next generation, the 1983 win made a big difference, in our country, parents also started inculcating the value of sports, so it was a big thing. We have been producing doctors and engineers in large numbers as parents support that profession,” he added.
When asked about the pressure Virat Kohli is put under for not winning the World Cup title yet, Dev replied: “There is no pressure on the current Indian team, in my opinion, they are doing well, it’s not like that you need to win a World Cup to be called a good team.”
“Virat Kohli is doing well, Sourav Ganguly did well, how can we forget Sunil Gavaskar? He was a great captain too. Lifting the cup is not everything, how you shape up the team matters,” he added.
In the finals between India and West Indies, the latter won the toss and opted to bowl first.
The Kapil Dev-led side managed to score just 183 runs as Andy Roberts took three wickets while Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Larry Gomes picked up two wickets each.
Defending 183, India did a good job of keeping a check on the Windies run flow, reducing the side to 57/3.
Soon after, the team from the Caribbean was reduced to 76/6 and India was the favourites from there on to win the title.
Mohinder Amarnath took the final wicket of Michael Holding to give India their first-ever World Cup title win.
In the finals, West Indies was bowled out for 140, and as a result, India won the match by 43 runs.
Kapil Dev lifting the trophy at the balcony of Lord’s Cricket Ground still remains an image to savour for all the Indian fans.
In the finals, Mohinder Amarnath was chosen as the Man of the Match as he scored 26 runs with the bat and also picked up three wickets with the ball.
