It was a strike that even George Fernandes would say was unfortunate. Though he may deny the statement later. On a day when the BBC crew struck work, the most dramatic innings in one-day cricket unfolded in Tunbridge Wells where till that point in time, a home county match against Sussex was what locals called "drama". It was an epic rescue attempt by Kapil Dev that even clichéd writers will not call ‘cannot be described in words’. It has only been described in words, for the BBC didn’t shoot that day. It’s believed that one lone spectator caught the whole match on video and eventually sold it to someone for a huge sum.
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It was a crucial league match for both India and Zimbabwe. India had to win to enter the semis of the 1983 World Cup. That looked impossible when, put in to bat, India were 17 for 5, with Peter Rawson and Kevin Curran bowling what is rightly called a spell. That’s when Kapil Dev ambled in characteristically. Contrary to popular belief, Kapil didn’t slaughter right from the beginning. Gavaskar, who would later meet him with a cup of water as he came off the field, remembered: "His first 70 to 80 runs were really calculated in the sense that he pushed and nudged the ball. After that he had enough confidence, he launched a counter-attack the like of which one had never been seen before." It was a batting war in which the footsoldiers came in handy—Kapil had a 60-run partnership with Roger Binny, added 62 runs with Madan Lal, and an unbeaten 126 runs for the ninth wicket with Syed Kirmani, which is still a world record. With 16 fours and 6 sixes, Kapil scored what was to be the highest one-day score till Richards corrected that four years later.
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When Kapil was batting, Indian team manager Mann Singh, like the many who would follow him, was superstitious. He ordered all players in the enclosure not to move. K. Srikkanth had romantically stepped out of the players’ box with his wife into the English weather. But had to stay outside, almost still, after the manager’s order for the rest of Kapil’s innings. "So, when Kapil was in full flow, I was standing out facing the brunt of the English winter," he said once.
Zimbabwe still had a chance, having to score 266. But with two run-outs, it was struggling at 113 for 6. A heroic innings by Curran (73) brought it closer to victory. At 230 for 8, Zimbabwe had not perished yet but when Curran got out, it was almost all over. Then Kapil, as it seemed appropriate, dismissed the last batsman—India had won by 31 runs. As he left, the Indian captain kissed the ground. He was returning a favour to Tunbridge Wells.
This That
- This victory and the final Lord’s win had a great precursor—India had beaten the Windies in WI for the first time earlier that year in a place called Berbice
- A strike by BBC staff meant this match was never telecast
