Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
Subscribe Now  
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts
 

Kapil Dev debuts 40 years ago this day: Five top moments from his career

Kapil Dev made his debut for India against Pakistan on October 16, 2018 and here's five top moments from his legendary career

Kapil Dev made his debut on this day 40 years and changed the landscape of Indian cricket

Bengaluru, October 16: Kapil Dev made his debut for India 40 years back on this day (October 16, 1978) against Pakistan at Faisalabad and Indian cricket has never been the same.

India received a genuine match-winner with bat and ball and a player capable of mastering conditions home and abroad. Kapil Dev played 131 Tests taking 434 wickets and scored 5248 runs with eight hundreds. In 225 ODIs, Kapil plucked 253 wickets and garnered 3783 runs with a hundred and 14 fifties. His strike-rate in ODIs was a well-ahead-of-age 95.07. Here's MyKhel presents five glittering moments from the career of 'Haryana Hurricane'.

1. Kapil Dev debuts

1. Kapil Dev debuts

Till then, Indian new ball bowlers were treated as part-timers whose duty was to take the shine off the ball before spinners took over. But the ball that forced Sadiq Mohammad to wear helmet changed the whole scenario. Indian kids began to think seriously about bowling fast and what followed was a revolution. If India have a good pace battery now, it all began with one man 40 years ago - Kapil Dev.

2. 1983 World Cup

2. 1983 World Cup

Kapil led from the front as India defeated the mighty West Indies at Lord's by 43 runs to lift the Prudential World Cup. His running catch to dismiss the dangerous Vivian Richards off Madan Lal will forever be embossed in the conscience of cricket lovers. The moment changed the match and cricket's stature in India.

3. First 17/5 then came 175

3. First 17/5 then came 175

Courtesy incisive spells by Peter Rawson and Kevin Curran, father of current England cricketers Sam and Tom, Zimbabwe had reduced India to 17/5 in a group match at Tunbridge Wells. It soon became 78/7 but Kapil kept soldiering on in the company of Madan Lal and then Syed Kirmani. Kapil remained unbeaten on 175 (138 balls, 16x4, 6x6) and his strike rate was 126.81. India won the match by 31 runs.

4. 6, 6, 6, 6 and Kapil saves follow-on

4. 6, 6, 6, 6 and Kapil saves follow-on

At 430/9, India needed 24 more runs to avoid follow-on during the first Test against England at Lord's. With last man Narendra Hirwani for company, Kapil took the responsibility of wiping out the deficit on himself. He launched a brutal assault on Eddie Hemmings and smashed him for four sixes in a row to avoid follow on. England won the match by 247 runs but Kapil's feat will forever remain as a testimony of his indomitable spirit.

5. 129 vs South Africa

5. 129 vs South Africa

After conceding a 63-run first innings lead to South Africa, India were in massive trouble at 31/6 as Allan Donald, Brett Schultz and Brian McMillan tore apart the visitors in Port Elizabeth. But in the company of Manoj Prabhakar, Kiran More and Anil Kumble, Kapil held the innings together with a 129 (180b, 14x4, 1x6). It enabled India to set South Africa a target of 153. South Africa eventually won the Test by 9 wickets but it could have been worse without Kapil's innings.

Story first published: Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 12:27 [IST]
Other articles published on Oct 16, 2018