“ You people are always negative where India is concerned. Of course, India can do it”, said my mother. My brother chimed in, “ Yes, India has the capacity to win.”
They were both referring to the chances of India winning the Cricket World Cup of 1983. Considering that India had done poorly in the two previous editions –1975 and 1979—the confidence evinced by my mother and brother seemed quite misplaced. “This is confidence born out of ignorance. India just doesn’t have the ability to do this,” I retorted. After all the West Indies who were the winners of the two previous cups were at the peak of their prowess. Not only was their bowling awesome their batting included the likes of the legendary Vivian Richards, the captain Clive Lloyd and the resplendent opening pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.
India of course had big names like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev but as a unit they did not inspire confidence in me. History is witness to the fact that I was wrong and completely wrong. I was in good company too with practically every cricketing aficionado agreeing with me. The only person who seemed to have any inkling about India’s prowess was the then Australian Captain Kim Hughes who said that India was the dark horses of the tournament.
India not only won the World Cup in but did it in style by defeating the West Indies by 43 runs. As the drama of the final unfolded all of us at home reached for sugar as there were no sweets at home. Everyone had forgotten as to who had predicted what. As I slipped sugar into my mouth the taste of being proved wrong was never sweeter. It was one of the happiest moments of my life although I had been proved thoroughly wrong..
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