Long Before Dhoni And Tendulkar, There Was A Man Who Took Indian Cricket To Soaring Heights

Cricketers are superstars in India today.

They get world class treatment on-field and off the field which includes a fully trained staff of batting, bowling coaches, team psychologist, and physios. They have the top sponsors vying to put their name on the Indian jersey. They fly first class and stay in the best hotels and play with the best kits in the market.

But before all this glitz took over cricket, Indian players shared their batting pads and gloves and were still trying to make a mark in world cricket. India was famous for not having a specialist fast bowler – something unimaginable today. Any match we won was a milestone. World Cups were disasters.

And it was at this time, a Jat from Haryana took Indian cricket to the top with his grit, fast bowling, and much-needed leadership. Here are some of the most impressive things he did to put Indian cricket on the global map.

India’s opponents were not used to speed and bounce by bowlers until Kapil Dev came and surprised them

India virtually had no fast bowlers at the time. We relied heavily on spin bowling to take wickets and hence there was no variation in bowling – one of the reasons India lost so many matches.

Kapil Dev changed this. He not only bowled fast, he bowled bouncers too – because of his height and technique. We finally had a full-time fast bowler who was taking wickets.

 

He became India’s captain at just 24 years of age, replacing the rested Sunil Gavaskar. Even his teammates did not think he was fit to lead the team

Sunil Gavaskar was rested because of India’s loss in the test series leading to the World Cup. Kapil Dev was just 24 when leadership was thrust on him. Gavaskar considered Kapil Dev as his rival and his teammates were apprehensive, but Kapil Dev led without anxiety.

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Before Kapil Dev led India in the 1983 World Cup, India had just won 2 matches in total in two previous versions of the world cup

India used to lose dismally at World Cups and had chalked only one win each in the previous two World Cups.

But history was about to be re-written.

 

He cracked 175 against Zimbabwe even though he was feeling sick in the 1983 world cup. India was at 9/4 before Kapil walked on to the pitch

After he walked to the pitch, another wicket fell and suddenly India was at 17 for 5 wickets. Kapil Dev braved the storm and scored 175 off 138 balls.

India won that match and moved to the semis.

His batting was so impressive that even Gavaskar put his rivalry aside and brought a glass of water for Kapil Dev as he came off the field.

 

He handed West Indies’ first defeat in a World Cup

The class of ’83 handed West Indies its first defeat ever in a World Cup. West Indies was believed to be an unbeatable team back then with a lethal bowling lineup and batsmen that would make a mincemeat of bowlers.

Kapil Dev did the impossible by winning by defeating West Indies in the final.

 

Kapil Dev is probably the fittest sportsman India has ever had. He NEVER missed a Test because of injury or fitness reasons in a career that spanned 131 Tests spread over 16 years.

16 long injury-free years.

 

He was never run out in his in 184 Test innings long career.

Kapil Dev is essentially, in essence, the opposite of Inzamam Ul-Haq in this case.

 

Kapil Dev put sportsmanship even before the country in a match against Australia in 1987 world cup

In India’s match against Australia, the Aussies hit a boundary in the last ball of their first innings. It was a four but was judged by the umpire to be a six.

And Kapil Dev agreed without questioning. Australia scored a total of 270, instead of 268 as it should have been.

India scored 269 and lost the match by ONE RUN.

He is the only cricket player in history to take more than 400 wickets and score more than 5000 runs and was named the Indian Cricketer of the Century by Wisden over Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar.

He was an extremely good all-rounder and a world class leader who led the team when India was not considered as a good side. He bowled like a blaze when it was assumed that “there are no fast bowlers in India”.

Although India remembers him for winning us the world cup, he was never in the limelight we put our present cricketers in. His legendary knock of 175 was never televised because BBC went on a strike.

He may not have been the best batsman or bowler, but when everything was taken into consideration – bowling, batting, leadership, sportsmanship and fitness, Kapil Dev was probably the best cricketer India ever produced.

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