Former India allrounder Roger Binny recalled the historic 1983 World Cup final against West Indies and said that he never thought that the team would be able to win the tournament. Believed to be the underdogs, India, led by Kapil Dev, defeated the mighty Windies to win their maiden World Cup trophy at Lord’s.
Binny, who was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, with 18 scalps in 8 games, said beating West Indies in the final lifted the spirit of the team
“I really didn’t think I’d take 18 wickets or that we’d win the World Cup. For me, it was a comeback and there’s no better place for me than England. It all started with a game against West Indies - that was the first time they had lost a game in a World Cup. Beating them lifted the spirit of the team,” Binny told Sportskeeda in a Facebook live interview.
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Binny went on to recall that India fielded really well in the semifinal against England, and the win over the hosts boosted their confidence going into the final.
“We didn’t have very good fielders but if you saw them fielding! Not many runs were scored by Sunil but he was a real asset in the field. We crushed England, who were tipped by their press to crush us. They said ‘India is just another team’. After that game we started to believe in ourselves,” Binny said.
Binny went on to recall India’s batting performance in the final.India’s batting line-up took a hit with the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Sir Andy Roberts dominating the first period of the play. India were bundled out for 183, setting an easy target for the two-time World Champions.
But inspiring words from skipper Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar lifted the spirits in the Indian dressing room before they went out to chase.
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“It was one of the most disappointing mornings for us, we were looking to post 220+. 240 was a winning score but when we got out for 183, we couldn’t believe it. We had to wait for 40 minutes for the overs we didn’t play, sitting in the dressing room and brooding. Nobody was talking,” Binny said.
“Suddenly, Kapil Dev’s voice came on and he said, ‘Forget it, let’s go and bowl them out’. His words and Sunil’s words raised the tempo in the dressing room. A small score makes you fight harder. If we had scored 270, maybe they would’ve crushed us,” he further added.
India’s 1983 World Cup final win is remembered as one of the biggest underdog victories in cricket history. 28 years later, MS Dhoni-led India to their 2nd ODI World Cup trophy in 2011.
The Link LonkAugust 05, 2020 at 10:16AM
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/forget-it-let-s-go-bowl-them-out-how-kapil-dev-sunil-gavaskar-inspired-indian-dressing-room-during-1983-world-cup-final/story-yL7NdIw8wbjmZgk0YXoy4L.html
‘Forget it, let’s go bowl them out’: How Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar inspired Indian dressing room during... - Hindustan Times
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