HT Archives: Kapil's heroic 175 helps keep World Cup dream alive

Hindustan Times

20-06-2025

Indian captain Kapil Dev lashed a record-breaking unbeaten 175 to lead his team out of a crisis and beat Zimbabwe by 32 runs in an exciting World Cup Group B match in Tunbridge Wells on Saturday. India batsman Kapil Dev hits out during his innings of 175 not out during the 1983 Cricket World Cup finals Match between India and Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells on June 18th, 1983 in Tunbridge Wells, England. (Hulton Archive)
India collapsed to 17 for five in the first 13 overs against pacers Peter Rawson and Kevin Curran, and were later reduced to 78 for seven, before Kapil Dev's breathtaking rescue lifted the score to 266 for eight in the 60 overs.
Zimbabwe, struggling at one time at 113 for six, made a late burst through Kevin Curran, who hit a brilliant 71, to total 234 in 57 overs.
Kevin at one stage raised his side's hopes of another victory by the sheer nature of his aggression. Of his eight boundaries six came in the last 45 runs.
He was caught brilliantly by Shastri on his second attempt off Madan Lal, who had come in for a heavy battering in the previous over.
All-rounder Kapil Dev's hundred was the first by an Indian in the competition and beat the previous Cup highest of 171 not out by New Zealand's Glenn Turner against East Africa in the inaugural 1975 tournament.
India's skipper dominated with key partnerships, putting on 60 for the sixth wicket with Roger Binny, who made 22 and 62 for the eight-wicket with Madan Lal, who contributed 17.
The revival reached its peak in Kapil Dev's unfinished ninth wicket partnership of 123 with Syed Kirmani, who scored 24. Kapil hit 17 fours and six soaring sixes.
India made a disastrous start, losing five wickets for 17 runs in 12.5 overs.
Peter Rawson, the Zimbabwe paceman, snapped up two of the wickets and Kevin Curran got the third, with the aid of a brilliant catch by Ian Butchart.
With the last ball of the first over Rawson trapped Gavaskar LBW without a run on the board. Gavaskar had returned to the side after missing the previous two games.
In the fifth over Rawson struck again with a fine delivery which came back at Amarnath, caught the inside edge and was snapped up by wicketkeeper Houghton.
There was obviously movement in the wicket for the bowlers and in the sixth over Srikkanth drove at Curran, skied the ball and Butchart ran from mid-off to extra cover to take a brilliant catch.
India lost her fourth wicket at nine off the last ball of the tenth over when Patil, trying to turn Curran down the leg side, became Houghton's second victim.
Yashpal turned Rawson to the square leg boundary and then on-drove Curran for three, but in the 13th over he edged one to Houghton.
India's hopes flicked for the first time as skipper Kapil Dev and Roger Binny survived to take them to 77 in the 27th over, when Binny swept at Traicos and was lbw.
One run later, in the next over, Shastri drove at Fletcher and was caught at cover by Pycroft.
From 106 for seven at lunch Madan Lal and Kapil took the score to 144 before Madan was caught behind off Curran at 17.
However, nobody outside the stadium watched the innings, with the BBC prioritising other games.