By Roger Seymour
In this week’s edition of In Search of West Indies Cricket Roger Seymour turns back the clock to 40 years ago today, 25th June, 1983, when India defied the odds to beat the West Indies in the World Cup Final. Today, we republish in its entirety, his Sunday, 6th November, 1994 column, in which he imagines a conversation between Clive Lloyd and his son Jason.
“Good morning to all of you watching our live telecast on Sky Sports today, Friday, June 6, 2003, wherever you are in the West Indies, India, Europe, the UK or any part of the cricketing world.
“Welcome once again to the inaugural game of the British Airways World Cup. Today, the West Indies, the defending champions, having won the last tournament four years ago in South Africa, play India, the 1983 winners at the Oval, here in London, England. In fact, this is a repeat of that 1983 final, the last World Cup game played here, 20 years ago.
“I am your host David Gower and my co-commentators are Michael Holding, who played in that game; Kapil Dev, the victorious Indian captain on that occasion; and Tony Lewis, the former England captain. Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, is also a member of our team but he will not be joining us today, since he made a promise 10 years ago to be home for his son’s 21st birthday. Happy Birthday to you, Clive Jason Lloyd, from all of us at Sky Sports.
“The West Indies, having won the toss, have invited India to bat, and the West Indies are now coming on to the field. Here’s their Skipper, Brian Lara…”
“Hmm history is repeating itself, I guess,” Lloyd muttered to no one in particular.
“Dad, isn’t that the game everyone is always asking you about?’ enquired his son Clive Jason as he depressed the volume button on the remote control of the television set.
“Yes, yes,” replied Lloyd senior as he looked at Lara setting the field. “It’s the one game I would have given anything to play over.”
“Strange, you guys hardly lost any games in those days, according to mum.”
“That’s true. In fact, I think I lost more tests (12) as captain than I was home for Melissa, Samantha and your preteen birthdays and Christmases.”
“But today makes it three out of three for our 21st birthdays,” Jason acknowledged. “But what really happened in that ’83 Final?”
Lloyd reclined a bit further in his favourite chair, flexed his legs and stared at the ceiling for a moment. “At the start of the 1983 Prudential World Cup, we were the bookmakers’ favourites. We were the defending champs, who had never lost a match in the Cup. We had an overall one-day record of 38—14.
“There were two important changes in that tournament. Firstly, each team had to play each other not once but twice, in the preliminary round, in the two groups. Secondly, the ‘circle’ was introduced which meant that four players, including the wicket-keeper and the bowler had to be in it at all times.
“We were in Group A with Australia, India and Zimbabwe, and were favoured along with Australia to qualify for the semi-finals.
“Our initial game was against India right here in Manchester at Old Trafford, Lancashire’s home, on the 9th and 10th of June. It was rain delayed and I won the toss and invited them to have the first knock, like Lara just did. They compiled 262 for 8 off their 60 overs, led by 89 from Yashpal Sharma.
We never got going and lost by 34 runs the next day. It would have been a lot worse but for a record World Cup 10th wicket stand of 71 between Andy Roberts and Joel Garner.
“It was the biggest upset ever seen in the World Cup. India were 66 to 1 to win the Cup, having only ever won one game against East Africa in 1975.
“Our next encounter was against Australia at Headingley. We scored 252 for 9 in 60 overs, with Larry Gomes (78) and Faoud Bacchus (47) the main contributors. Thanks to Winston Davis’s 7 for 51, the best ever return in the competition, we won by 101 runs the following day.
“Gordon Greenidge got an undefeated century, and Larry was 75 not out, as they shared a World Cup record third-wicket partnership at Worcester, as we beat Zimbabwe, the 1,000 to 1 outsiders who had won against Australia in their opening match. We adopted a cautious approach and took no undue risks.
“We then played India in the return game at the Oval on the 15th of June. India in the meanwhile had beaten Zimbabwe and lost to Australia by over 150 runs.
I won the toss again, and we batted first this time and we compiled 282 for 9. Viv Richards got a good century and we added 80 for the third wicket before I was run out for 41. Strangely, India omitted Gavaskar because of lack of fitness and form.
They lost two early wickets but then Vengsarkar and Amarnath batted with confidence, whilst adding 68. Malcolm Marshall was bowling with extreme pace, and one of his deliveries struck Vengsarkar in the face, forcing him to retire hurt. Amarnath had an excellent innings of 80 but couldn’t prevent us winning by 66 runs.
“Whilst India were disposing of Zimbabwe once again, we were conquering Australia at Lord’s on the18th of June in a run fest. They won the toss and accumulated 273 for 6 thanks to 50s from Hughes, Hookes, and Yallop. Greenidge and Desmond Haynes gave us a great start, and Viv was in superb form, doing as he pleased. Greenidge made 90 and Viv was 95 not out as we got home by 7 wickets with 13 balls to spare, to guarantee a place in the semi-finals.
“Next, we polished off Zimbabwe by 10 wickets at Edgbaston, as Bacchus and Haynes each scored 80, whilst India surprised Australia by 118 runs to grab the other semi-final place from Group A.
“At the Oval, on 22nd June, we beat Pakistan without Javed Miandad quite easily for the 11th time in 12 meetings. They were contained by some excellent bowling from our pace quartet and managed only two boundaries in a total of 184 for 8 in 60 overs. Viv was in total command in getting 80 not out and Larry got his third half-century of the Cup, as we won by 8 wickets with more than 11 overs to spare. Viv won his 3rd successive Man-of-the-Match award in games in which he batted. Our only concern was a muscle injury which I had sustained whilst fielding and had to miss play after lunch.
“In the meanwhile, India continued to hurt the pockets of the bookmakers by upsetting England by 6 wickets in the other game.
“The Final was played at Lord’s on Saturday, 25th June. The gates were not opened until 9 am and there was pure chaos all around as a mile-long queue had already built up. Extra stewards had been employed to try to prevent people from climbing over the fence. Touts were asking for and getting 140 quid for tickets.
“We were very confident of winning and completing a hat-trick. It was our 6th one-day encounter for the year and the score was 3 – 2 in our favour as we had beaten them 2 games to one during their tour of the Caribbean.
“Viv, Andy, Gordon and I, the pillars from the 1974/75 tour of India were in our third Final. Of course, I had enjoyed 6 Gillette Cup Finals in 7 years (winning 4) in the 70s with Lancashire. Somehow, I felt that it would be my last Lord’s Final.
“Lord’s, groomed like a high-born lady, was bathed in sunshine and packed to capacity.
“The teams were: West Indies – Greenidge, Haynes, Richards, Gomes, Lloyd (Capt), Bacchus, Dujon, Marshall, Roberts, Garner and Holding. India – Gavaskar, Srikkanth, M Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma, S Patil, Kapil Dev (Capt), Azad, Binny, Madan Lal, Kirmani, and Sandhu.
“India had contemplated replacing Srikkanth with Vengsarkar who had not played since his injury but decided against it. I was surprised at the omission of the very useful Ravi Shastri.
“We won the toss for the third time in as many meetings and invited India to bat. The Lord’s wicket often inclines to extravagant morning life.
“Roberts soon had the dangerous Gavaskar for 2, edging to Dujon, the wicketkeeper.
“Krish Srikkanth then attacked everything with a host of enterprising strokes. He hooked Andy for a 4 and a 6. In all, he hit seven 4s and one 6 as India progressed quickly into the 50s.
“Marshall then trapped him LBW for 38. Amarnath took up the offensive as India got to 90 for 2, before Holding bowled him with a beauty for 26. Yashpal drove Gomes’s deceptive off-spin straight to Logie (our sub) and at lunch India were 100 for 4 with more than 30 overs gone.
“Their innings continued to decline with Kapil Dev holing out to deep long-on, again off Gomes. When Patil (27) skied a catch off Garner, India were in desperate straits at 130 for 7 and the match was firmly in our hands.
“Kirmani and Sandhu held us up for a while, as they added an apparently harmless 22 for the last wicket. When Holding bowled Kirmani, India had scored 183 in 54.4 overs. Roberts with 3 for 32 was our best bowler.
“The match was as good as over as far as our large number of supporters present thought, as all we had to do was repeat our semi-final performance. India had other ideas as they refused to accept defeat. In their second preliminary game, with Zimbabwe they had been reduced to 17 for 5 before Kapil blasted the attack apart for 175, as India recovered to 266 for 8 and won by 31 runs.
“We began badly. Greenidge padded up and was bowled by Sandhu for 1. Viv continued in the fine form where he had left off from the semis, raising the roof as he raced to 33 with 7 boundaries off 28 deliveries. He had struck three 4s in Madan Lal’s first over and in his second, attempting to hook him for 6 he top-edged the stroke and Kapil Dev running backwards towards the midwicket boundary calmly took the catch over his shoulder; 50 for 2.
“I then joined Haynes. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have changed the batting order of our last couple of matches as Larry had batted very well in the number 4 spot. Maybe it was the anxiety in knowing that it was my Lord’s farewell final.
“The rout then started. Haynes drove to the lone fieldsman in the covers and Larry edged to first slip. Madan Lal had grabbed 3 prized wickets in 19 balls, and suddenly we were 66 for 4.
“I was not unduly worried, as in the previous finals we had endured similar slumps and had pulled through.
“In taking my first single I had aggravated the muscle strain and Haynes had to return and run for me. I then played one of the worst shots of my entire life, lifting Roger Binny straight to mid-on; 66 for 5. My wicket tied him with Sri Lanka’s de Mel as the leading wicket taker in the tournament. The walk back to the pavilion seemed as though it would never end.
“At tea, we were 76 for 5. In the first over after the break, Bacchus chased a wide ball and edged a catch to Kirmani; 76 for 6.
“Marshall then joined Dujon. With calm application of sound batting principles, they added 43 and took the score to 119. It looked like they were going to see us home.
“Dujon then played on to Amarnath for 25. It was the beginning of the end. Amarnath also dismissed Marshall for 18 and had the final wicket of Holding, as we were all out for 140 in 52 overs.
“It was the lowest all out winning score in the history of the World Cup. Amarnath was named Man of the Match (for the second successive game) by Mike Brearley for his stabilising 26 and 3 wickets.
“We had literally thrown our wickets and the match away but take nothing away from India. They bowled steadily and fielded keenly with an indomitable spirit.”
“Did you guys ever play the game over?” enquired the spellbound Clive Jason.
“I have been playing it over ever since in my mind, with the same result all the time,” his dad replied, still staring at the ceiling.”
“And at lunch, India are 99 for 4 versus the West Indies here at the Oval, and this is David Gower…”
Note on the review of the film 83, “Authenticity paramount in time capsule journey 83” (12th March, 2023) which was produced from an Indian perspective.
In response to inquiries about the actors who played the roles of the West Indies cricketers, here is the cast: Clive Lloyd – Orson Nurse (Kittian actor), Viv Richards – Jacques Taylor (St Kitts/Leewards), Gordon Greenidge – Carl Greenidge (son – Surrey/Northants/Gloucestershire), Larry Gomes – Tagenarine Chanderpaul (Guyana/West Indies), Faoud Bacchus – Ayzaz Hussain (actor), Andy Roberts – Sheeno Berridge (St Kitt /Leewards), Michael Holding – Ruel Brathwaite (Barbados/Cambridge/Combined Campuses and Colleges), Joel Garner – Jason Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall – Mali Marshall (son), Wayne Daniel – Foozi Artan (Danish-Somalian actor), manager Stephen Camacho – Tony Richardson (English actor). Marvin Montoute (British-St Lucian actor) is listed in the credits as playing a West Indies cricketer, whose name was not stated. I was unable to ascertain the names of the actors who filled the roles of Desmond Haynes, Jeff Dujon, Winston Davis and Gus Logie.
