World Cup flashback: It all started in Manchester

Yashpal Sharma scored 89 against West Indies in Manchester

It all started in Manchester

The win over West Indies in the 1983 World Cup final at Lord's has gone down in cricketing history as India's finest moment in limited overs cricket. But the match that kicked off India's campaign in that edition is often forgotten.

Kapil Dev's team took on Clive Lloyd's defending champions in Manchester and Yashpal Sharma showed the kind of steel he is made up of through his 89 off 120 balls. His partnerships with Sandeep Patil and Roger Binny were not huge but vital enough to help India come up with 262 for eight, a total which would not have frightened a West Indies batting side which boasted of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd.

But the medium pace of Balvinder Singh Sandhu, S Madan Lal and Roger Binny had the West Indians in a spot of bother. And when left-arm spinner Ravi Shastri had the dangerous Malcolm Marshall stumped by Syed Kirmani, defeat was inevitable before Lloyd was castled by Binny for 25. Shastri sent back Michael Holding and Joel Garner to ensure the 1975 and 1979 champions lost their first-ever World Cup game. India triumphed by 34 runs.

India 'keeper Syed Kirmani

Did you know?
Syed Kirmani fans were stunned when the selectors dropped him for the 1979 World Cup. They chose Delhi's Surinder Khanna instead. Kirmani was also not behind the wicket for the Test tour of England in the same year when Bharat Reddy did duty. Kirmani returned to the side soon and the Karnataka stumper ensured nothing came in the way of his selection for the next World Cup where he was adjudged the 'keeper of the 1983 tournament.

New Zealand's Dipak Patel

Figured out
Dipak Patel, one of New Zealand's star bowlers in the 1992 World Cup where he opened the bowling, was not effective in the previous edition (1987) held in India and Pakistan. He claimed just four wickets in six games with his off-spinners, but had a three-wicket spell against India, the better players of spin bowling, in Bangalore. His victims were Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mohammed Azharuddin and Ravi Shastri.

Man to watch
Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell has always been a dangerous batsman, but he is a man on a mission now - determined to prove his detractors wrong by scoring big runs to do justice to his ability. Maxwell can be ruthless on bowlers who don't pitch it right and he can give captains sleepless nights when he is on song. He's a live wire in the field and his off-spinners will be handy for Australia if they have to defend their World Cup crown in England. His 324 runs in the last World Cup were priceless for Australia.

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