Kapil Dev Da Jawaab

January 19 and 20, 1980
Pakistan came to India in 1979-80 as favourites to win the six-Test series. Just a yearearlier, their batsmen had mauled India's famed spin trio of Bedi, Chandrasekhar andPrasanna in a 2-0 series win in Pakistan. All three spinners had gone, and with Pakistan'sbatting line-up much the same, they were expected to have a run-feast against aninexperienced Indian attack.

The early indications that Pakistan might not have it all their way came in the secondtest at Delhi. Bowling with fire and hostility rarely associated with an Indian pacebowler, 21-year-old Kapil Dev took nine wickets in the drawn match. His five-for in thefirst innings helped India bowl Pakistan out for the first time since Test series betweenthe two countries had resumed the previous year.

India's win in the third Test was largely fashioned by spin, but Kapil made the fifthTest at Madras his own. Asif Iqbal won the toss and elected to bat on a perfect battingwicket, but was soon ruing his decision. Kapil took four of the first five wickets,including those of Zaheer Abbas (for a duck) and Javed Miandad, as Pakistan were bowledout for 272. India's reply was built around a monumental 166 by Sunil Gavaskar he battednearly 10 hours and faced 373 balls -but the impetus to the innings was  provided byKapil. His 98 - ball 84 included 13 fours and a six, and was the only other score to top50. India finished with 430 -a lead of 158. The pitch was still a beauty to bat on, andPakistan through most of the five sessions of play left.

Kapil had other ideas. He had Sadiq Mohammad caught by Roger Binny for a second-ballduck and removed Mudassar Nazar to have Pakistan reeling at 17 for 2. Then, for the secondtime in the match he nailed Zaheer. Within 90 minutes of starting their second innings,Pakistan had slumped to 58 for 5 - Kapil, again, taking four of the wickets. It was adecisive spell of fast bowling, and suddenly, India had a chance of wrapping it up on thefourth day itself.

Some lower-order resistance enabled Pakistan to stretch it to the fifth day, but Kapilwas not to be denied. He got rid of Imran Khan and the tail to finish with 7 for 56 (matchfigures of 11 for 146), as India romped home by 10 wickets and took an invincible 2-0 leadin the series. Kapil Dev had won India a famous victory.