The desperate Kapil gamble failed
By A. C. De Silva
FLASHBACK: ... Indian captain Kapil Dev having won the toss, made a
wrong decision to field first and paid the penalty at Ahmedabad. This
third Test in the series was won by West Indies by 138 runs. The match
was played on November 12, 13, 14, and 16 in 1983.
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Jeff Dujon in full flight – he made 98 in the West Indies
first innings score of 281 and 20 in the second innings
score of 201. He played a big roll in the West Indies win by
138 runs.
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Sunil Gavaskar made 90 in India’s first innings total of 241
and with A Gaekwad (39) added 127 runs in the first wicket
partnership of 127 in India’ first innings total of 241. He
was unlucky to be on the losing side. |
West Indies made 281 and 201 and India scored 241 and were shot out
for 103 in their second innings.
Ninety-Nine teams out of 100 would have chosen to bat first, hoping
to have the initial freshness of the wicket and use the wear and tear
which must affect adversely on a new pitch.
India chose to do the opposite and paid dearly in a Test in which a
150 would have been a hefty fourth innings target. As it transpired, 138
was the margin of victory and defeat in a low scoring match.
Durable Dujon
West Indies were off to somewhat a poor start - losing three wickets
for 27 runs, but the Windies recovered with a fine fourth wicket
partnership of 107 runs between H.A. Gomes (38) and Clive Lloyd (68)
whose fine partnership saved the day for the windies.
Then there was Dujon (98) - One must always marvel at the way Dujon
makes the difficult art of batting on a doubleful pitch appear an
uncomplicated task.
It was Dujon who pushed the West Indies along to the heights of
respectability.
It was ironic that the two batsman who most deserved centuries were
to lose them. Dujon seemed to be over keen about using a gap in the
covers and drove into short mid-off to leave on 98 - caught by Kapil Dev
off Shastri's bowling.
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Clive Lloyd – the West Indies captain made 68 in the first
innings total of 281 and made 33 in the second innings total
of 201.
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Kapil Dev in full flight – he took 9 for 83 in the second
innings when West Indies were all out for 201. In the first
innings he had 1 for 52. He made 31 in the Indian first
innings score of 241. |
Earlier it was Clive Lloyd, the man who had the least trouble with
dubious bounce, who along with Dujon, who played as if he was the chief
guest at a amiable garden party, who kept the show going for the West
Indians. From the miserable start, the West Indies collected a rosy 281
runs in their first innings.
Mahinder Singh (4 for 65) and Binny (3 for 18) were India's best
bowlers.
Came the Indian's turn to bat and they had to desend on their old
faithful Sunil Gavaskar to weather the storm of the West Indians of a
fight back with a fine knock of 90 and this sterling offensive made the
West Indian pace bowlers gasp in astonishment.
Bowlers unpredictable
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Mike Holding was in a fine allrounder’s performance - he
made 58 in the West Indies second innings score of 201 and
he took 2 for 80 in 26 overs with 5 maidens in the first
innings total of 241 and 4 for 30 in India’s second innings
score of 103.
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The bowlers were bound to held away as the conditions were as
alarmingly tilted in their favour right from the first day when the
two-paced nature and unpredictable bounce of an unused strip was
becoming apparent. Where India first surrendered the initiative was in
its extreme inability to build on the support start given by Gavaskar
(90) and A.D. Gaekwad (39) who involved themselves in an opening
partnership of 127, flaying the Windies bowlers all over.
Though it was tough going for India, the newly liberated Gavaskar
seemed to be a different kind of batting wonder. It was a pleasure to
watch him unleash a range of strokes. The West Indians did not bounce at
him. They realised the futility of this after having watched him
earlier.
A 100-plus for the opening partnership and India seemed to be on song
until Holding, happy to get some breathing space while Gavaskar took a
break to tick off the man who was moving near the sightscreen bowled one
quicker which jumped from a good length.
The edged in on Lloyd at slip and India was back to square one so far
as maintaining the momentum of the innings was concerned. So Gavaskar
was out for 90 and India were all out for 241 in their first innings
which gave the Windies a lead of 40 runs on the first innings.
Kapil 9 for 83
Came the second innings and it was Kapil Dev in full flight and he
did wonders with the ball. He had a wonderful 'take' of 9 for 83 in 30.3
overs. The West Indies were all out for 201, in their second innings
with paceman Holding being the top scorer with 58 while Clive Lloyd got
33.
So, the West Indies who made 281 in the first innings, with their
second innings score of 201, gave then an overall total of 482 runs.
India had to make 242 runs to win the match. It was not going to be
an easy task -India just could not get going in the second innings were
nowhere near the winning target and were shot out for 103 runs, with
Windies paceman Holding taking 4 for 30 and Davis getting 3 for 21.
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES - 1ST INNINGS
C.G. Greenidge c Maninder b Binny 07
D.L. Haynes lbw b Binny 09
Vivian Richards c Kirti Azad b Benny 08
H.A. Gomes c Gavaskar b Maninder 38
C.H. Lloyd c(sub)Gursharan b Maninder 68
A.L. Logic c Kirmani b Maninder 00
J.F. Dujon c Kapil Dev b Shastri 98
M.D. Marshall b Maninder 10
W.W. Daniel run out 06
M.A. Holding b Kapil Dev 16
W.W. Davis not out 03
Extras (b-8,lb-6,nb-4) 18
Total 281
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-22, 3-27, 4-134, 5-134
6-158, 7-168, 8-190, 9-230
Bowling: Kapil Dev 27-9-52-1
Sandu 14-6-33-0
Binny 6-0,18-3
Maninder 34-6-85-4
Kirti Azad 7-0-34-0
R.Shastri 16.3-2-45-1
INDIA - 1ST INNINGS
S.M. Gavaskar c Lloyd b Holding 90
A.D. Gaekwad b Holding 39
N.S. Sidhu run out 15
S.M. Patil Dujon b Marshall 22
R.J. Shastri c Lloyd b Daniel 13
R. Binny c Haynes b Davis 05
Kapil Dev lbw b Daniel 31
Kirti Azad b Daniel 00
S.M.H. Kirmani c Haynes b Daniel 05
B.S. Sandu not out 07
Maninder Singh lbw b Daniel 00
Extras (b-7,lb-4,nb-3) 14
Total 241
Fall of Wickets: 1-127, 2-148, 3-174, 4-186, 5-197
6-213, 7-214, 8-222, 9-241
Bowling: M.D. Marshall 26-9-66-1
M.A. Holding 26-5-90-2
W.W. Daniel 11.5-0-39-5
W.W. Davis 11-3-23-1
H.A. Gomes 6-0-22-0
WEST INDIES - 2ND INNINGS
C.G. Greenidge b Kapil Dev 03
D.L. Haynes c Patil b Sandhu 01
Vivian Richards c Gursharan(sub) b Kapil Dev 20
H.A. Gomes lbw b Kapil Dev 25
C.H. Lloyd c Gavaskar b Kapil Dev 33
A.L. Logic lbw b Kapil Dev 00
J.F. Dujon c Gurusharan(sub) b Kapil Dev 20
M.D. Marshall c Gursharan(Sub) b Kapil Dev 29
W.W. Daniel b Kapil Dev 00
M.A. Holding lbw b Kapil Dev 58
W.M. Holding lbw Kapil Dev1 58
W.W. Davis not out 01
Extras (lb-9,nb-2) 11
Total 201
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-43, 4-74, 5-74, 6-107
7-114, 8-188, 9-188
Bowling: Kapil Dev 30.3-6-83-9
B.S. Sandhu 10-1-45-1
Maninder 14-1-48-0
Kirth Azad 4-2-7-0
R. Shastri 2-0-9-0
INDIA - 2ND INNINGS
S.M. Gavaskar lbw b Holdings 01
A.D. Gaekwad b Davis 29
N.S. Sidhu Dujon b Holding 04
S.M. Patil c Daniel b Marshall 01
R.J. Shastri c Dujon b Holding 0l
R. Binny c Greenidge Holding 01
Kapil Dev b Davis 01
Kirti Azad b Marshall 03
S.M.H. Kirmani not out 24
B.S. Sandhu lbw b Davis 01
Maninder Singh lbw b Daniel 15
Extras (b-6,lb-12,nb-4) 22
Total 103
Fall of Wickets: 1-1, 2-7, 3-8, 4-24, 5-27, 6-38
7-39, 8-61, 9-63
Bowling: M.D. Marshall 11-3-23-2
M.R. Holdings 17-5-30-4
W.W. Daniel 6.1-2-11-1
W.W. Davis 11-1-21-3 |
