As the 2019 edition of the World Cup in England draws near, it is time to leap back in time and recall those heady days of 1983 and 2011 for India. Memory stirs, dreams take shape and fresh tales of valour beckon.
India’s tryst with the World Cup started as a diversion that had to be endured in the 1970s. But once Kapil Dev held aloft the Prudential World Cup at the Lord’s balcony on June 25 in 1983, cricket’s leading silverware became an obsession with Indian fans.
The 1970s of black-and-white pictures and snail mail also ushered in the World Cup in England. Both in 1975 and 1979, India played with circumspection. In the first-ever match in World Cup history, played at Lord’s, England dismantled India. It was a contest that also witnessed Sunil Gavaskar’s excruciating 36 off 174 balls! The maestro later said that he tried to get out but just couldn’t. If 1975 threw up dour batting and the inexplicable exit, 1979 was worse as India lost to rivals ranging from the mighty West Indies to the rookie Sri Lanka!
This story is from the May 18, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the May 18, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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