Some fascinating facts about the World Cup 1983

Prudential, having announced that this was the last time it would sponsor the tournament, threw 500,000 pounds into the kitty -- five times the amount it had put on the table for the 1975 inaugural version.

India with only one World cup win in the previous two World Cup editions (and that against East Africa)  beat the favourites, the West Indies, by 34 runs.

The 126 run unbroken partnership between Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani (IND VS ZIM),18,June,'83) is the best partnership for the 9th wicket  in World Cup cricket. It is also the world record for the highest 9th wicket partnership in one-day international cricket. Kirmani's contribution was only 24.

In its 8 matches in 1983 World cup, India won 6 Man of the Match awards. The MOM awards were won by Mohinder Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma, Madan Lal, Kapil Dev and Roger Binny.

Sunil Valcon was the only member of the 'Fabulous Fourteen' who won India the 1983 World Cup not having played a single match.

Except Kapil Dev none in the team had an average touching 40 in the entire World Cup.

One of the all-time great innings, 175 not out by Kapil Dev against Zimbabwe was lost to posterity. BBC had gone on strike that day with the result that it was never recorded on video.

For India, the World Cup turned almost into a Test match, as it found itself playing on three consecutive days. After the long-drawn match against the Windies on 9^th and 10^{th   (stopped on the 9th due to rain and resumed the next day)} Indians turned up on June 11 to play -- and defeat -- Zimbabwe with ease.

England -- which had won five of six league games by enormous margins --- was, quite simply, blind-sided. A day before the semifinal, the overconfident hosts -- with the likes of Geoff Boycott and Ray Illingworth leading the way --- were talking of strategy and tactics to be used in the final.India won the match. Even as England supporters in the stands, upset at what to them was a shock result, took on Indian fans in a bout of fisticuffs, vice-captain David Gower was giving credit where it was due: "India have learnt the value of fielding in the one-day game," he said after the match. "Team work, and Kapil's captaincy, has made this a dangerous side."

On the morning of June 25, Lord's was bathed in bright sunlight. England, by contrast, was bathed in gloom -- none in the host country thought much of an India versus West Indies final, which they deemed so one-sided that Englishmen who had bought their tickets in advance stood outside the gates, hoping to sell them to West Indian and Indian supporters, for reduced rates if need be.

24,609 spectators came to see the India vs. West Indies Final at the lord's.

India winning the final saw saw scenes of indescribable pandemonium in the hitherto staid environs of Lord's.

Srikkanth threw convention to the winds and puffed merrily on a cigarette from the Lord's balcony.

Mohinder Amarnath, whose loping run to the wicket with a 'lucky' red kerchief poking out of his trouser pocket had made him a figure of fun before two successive man-of-the-match-winning performances in the semi-final and final gave him the last laugh, finally took the red kerchief out and waved it like a banner .

The win was worth 20,000 pounds, for starters. Industrialist Swaraj Paul added 2,500 pounds to the kitty. Amarnath hauled in 1000 pounds for his two man of the match awards in the last two games. The board gave each player Rs 5 lakh, to which Salve (perhaps it was the champagne talking) decided, impromptu, to add Rs 100,000 apiece, all of it tax-free.

Humiliated by officials of Lord's who denied them extra pavilion passes, board officials led by Salve vowed to snatch the World Cup from England and bring it to the sub-continent.
As it turned out, that was no idle threat. The next world Cup was held in the Sub-continent.