The trophy for India was very important to win as The Captain Kapil Dev said “We are here to win” and everyone else laughed, yes all the people sitting in the press conference were laughing cause India wasn’t a great team in cricket. This statement by the captain was a big thing.
The final of the 1983 Cricket World Cup was contested between India and the West Indies at Lord’s on 25 June 1983. This marked the third consecutive World Cup final appearance for the West Indies, who had won the previous two tournaments. In their first final, India defeated the West Indies to claim their inaugural World Cup title.
The 1983 Cricket World Cup final, held at Lord’s on 25 June, marked the third consecutive time the iconic venue hosted the final, following the 1975 and 1979 tournaments. This match saw India, making their debut appearance in a World Cup final, face off against the West Indies. India had reached the final by defeating England by 6 wickets in the first semi-final, becoming the first Asian nation to play in a World Cup final. Prior to this, India’s performance in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups was lackluster, with only one victory against East Africa.
On the other hand, the West Indies had dominated the previous World Cups, winning both the 1975 and 1979 editions. They reached their third consecutive final by beating Pakistan by 8 wickets in the second semi-final and were favorites to win their third straight title.
Given the West Indies’ strong track record and India’s underdog status, the odds were heavily against India, with bookmakers giving them a 66-1 chance of winning the final.
India batted first in the 1983 Cricket World Cup final after losing the toss to the West Indies, who had the world’s best bowling attack. Sunil Gavaskar was dismissed early for two runs. Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Mohinder Amarnath formed a key partnership, but India struggled to build a substantial total. Despite contributions from Srikkanth (38) and Amarnath (26), India was bowled out for 183 in 54.4 overs, with Andy Roberts taking three wickets and Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Larry Gomes claiming two each.
Chasing 184, the West Indies lost early wickets, including Gordon Greenidge, bowled by Balwinder Sandhu. Desmond Haynes and Viv Richards steadied the innings but were soon dismissed by Madan Lal, who also took the wicket of Larry Gomes. Kapil Dev’s catch removed Clive Lloyd, and the West Indies collapsed further, with Sandhu, Mohinder Amarnath, and Kapil Dev taking key wickets. The West Indies were all out for 140, giving India a historic 43-run victory and their first World Cup title. Amarnath and Lal each took three wickets, with Amarnath named Man of the Match for his all-round performance.
As the captain said, We are here to win, they won the heart and match together.