On This Day: India Stuns West Indies with 34-Run Victory to Kick Off 1983 World Cup Campaign

On the opening day, India faced the mighty West Indies — two-time World Cup champions — at Old Trafford, Manchester. The odds were heavily stacked in favour of the Caribbean side, but what unfolded was nothing short of historic. India, considered underdogs, delivered a remarkable all-round performance to shock the cricketing world with a stunning 34-run victory and This match not only set the tone for India’s campaign but also ignited a new era in Indian cricket history.

India vs West Indies: 9th June 1983

On June 9-10, 1983, at Old Trafford, Manchester, India took on the mighty West Indies in the Prudential World Cup, and what a match it was. This group-stage game, the fourth of the tournament, changed Indian cricket forever. Nobody expected India, the underdogs, to beat the West Indies, who’d won the World Cup twice and never lost a game in it. But India pulled off an incredible 34-run win, shocking everyone and setting the stage for their historic 1983 victory.

West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl, putting India in to bat on a pitch that helped the bowlers a bit. The clouds overhead didn’t make things easier for Kapil Dev’s team, who faced a scary West Indies bowling attack: Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, and Andy Roberts. These guys were fast and fierce, and India’s openers, Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth, had to hold strong to give their side a chance.

Srikkanth, always a bold player, started with a bang, scoring 14 runs off 17 balls with a couple of cracking shots. He looked ready to take on the bowlers, but Holding got him out, caught by wicketkeeper Jeff Dujon, leaving India at 21/1. Gavaskar, the steady one, fought hard, making 19 off 44 balls, but Marshall got him caught by Dujon too, and India were 46/2. With the ball moving around under the cloudy sky, things looked tough for India.

Mohinder Amarnath came in next, playing with guts to score 21 off 60 balls. He hung in there, but Garner’s height and bounce got him caught by Dujon, making it 76/3. Sandeep Patil joined in, playing some nice shots for 36 off 52 balls. He and Amarnath started to rebuild, but Larry Gomes bowled Patil, breaking the partnership at 125/4. With half the team out, India needed someone to step up and keep the innings going.

That’s when Yashpal Sharma played the innings of his life. His 89 off 120 balls was the heart of India’s total. He batted for over two hours, hitting nine solid fours, staying calm and picking his shots against a world-class attack. Sharma kept India in the game when things looked shaky. Kapil Dev, the captain, came in but scored only 6 off 13 balls before Gomes had him caught by Viv Richards at 141/5. Sharma’s cool head was a lifeline for India.

Roger Binny teamed up with Sharma, and they added 73 crucial runs for the sixth wicket. Binny’s 27 off 38 balls was tough and steady, helping Sharma keep things moving. Marshall finally got Binny out, caught leg-before at 214/6. Sharma’s great knock ended soon after, bowled by Holding for 89, leaving India at 243/7. Madan Lal came in swinging, making an unbeaten 21 off 22 balls, while Ravi Shastri added 5 not out off 3. Syed Kirmani got run out for 1, but India finished with a strong 262/8 in 60 overs.

West Indies’ bowlers were tough. Holding took 2/32, Marshall 2/48, Garner 1/49, and Gomes 2/46. Roberts (0/51) and Richards (0/13) didn’t get wickets, and extras, like 14 byes and leg-byes, gave India 23 runs. India’s scoring rate of 4.36 showed their fight, with Sharma leading the way, backed by Patil, Binny, and Lal, setting a total that challenged West Indies. Chasing 263, West Indies opened with Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, ready to dominate. Haynes started fast, scoring 24 off 29 balls, but a mix-up got him run out at 49/1. Greenidge took his time, making 24 off 55 balls, but Balwinder Sandhu had him caught by Kirmani at 56/2. Those early wickets put pressure on big names like Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd.

Richards, usually a game-changer, couldn’t get going, scoring 17 off 36 balls before edging Binny to Kirmani at 76/3. Faoud Bacchus tried to fight back with 14 off 24 balls, but Madan Lal bowled him, making it 96/4. India’s bowlers saw their chance and kept things tight. Jeff Dujon scored 7 off 12 balls before Binny got him, with Sandhu taking a great catch at 107/5. The quick wickets swung the game India’s way.

Larry Gomes battled for 8 off 16 balls, but a sharp run-out sent him back. Malcolm Marshall made 2 off 5 balls before Shastri stumped him, leaving West Indies at 126/7. Clive Lloyd, the captain, played a steady 25 off 38 balls, trying to keep his team in it, but Binny got him out at 130/8, all but ending their hopes. India’s tight bowling and quick fielding tore through a batting lineup known for its strength.

Then came a late fight from Andy Roberts, who stayed not out on 37 off 58 balls, and Joel Garner, who smashed 37 off 29, including a huge six. Their 71-run stand for the last wicket got the crowd buzzing, with Garner’s big shots giving West Indies a slim chance. But Shastri put an end to it, stumping Garner to finish West Indies at 228 in 54.1 overs, 34 runs short. Extras, including 17 leg-byes, added 25 runs, but the early wickets hurt too much.

India’s bowlers were fantastic. Binny took 3/48, Shastri 3/26, Sandhu 1/36, and Madan Lal 1/34. Kapil Dev (0/34) and Sandeep Patil (0/25) kept things tight. Their bowling rates — Sandhu at 3.00, Madan Lal at 2.83, Binny at 4.00, and Shastri at 5.03 — showed how they stopped West Indies from scoring freely. Kirmani was a star behind the stumps, with two stumpings and a catch, plus two run-outs that lit up the field. This was the first time West Indies ever lost a World Cup match, a huge upset that showed India’s growing strength and Yashpal Sharma’s 89 won him Player of the Match, but it was a team effort — bowlers hitting their mark, fielders diving everywhere, and batsmen fighting hard.