Hyderabad: After India's 1983 triumph at the Lord's cricket gained huge popularity in South Asia. It was time for them to defend the title, four years later. The World Cup was held slightly later than usual, to beat the heat of Indian summer. It started on October 8th and continued till November 8th. This was also the first time that the cricket World Cup was played outside England. India and Pakistan jointly hosted the fourth edition of the World Cup.
The rules were almost similar to the existing ones, except for the reduction in the number of overs from 60 to 50. Just like the previous three editions, eight teams were divided into two groups and the top two teams qualified for the semi-finals. By then, ICC made it official that all 7 test-playing nations would get a direct entry into the world cup and one place would be awarded to the team which had won the 1986 ICC Trophy. With this, Zimbabwe became the eighth team to feature in the 4th edition of the world cup. India, Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe were Group A, while England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies formed Group B.
Resembling India's 1983 feat Australia surprised the cricket world clinching the World Cup in 1987. When the tournament started they were not favourites. The pre-tournament notion was that a team which won only 5 of their last 16 ODIs before the World Cup could never become a champion. But Allan Border and co put up inspiring performances throughout the tournament to become world champions.
India VS Australia, First match
India's first match in the 1987 World Cup turned out to be a mouthwatering clash. India required 2 runs off last 2 balls to win the match in front a packed M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Steve Waugh was the bowler and Maninder Singh was the batsman. Kiran More was at the non-striker's end. Steve Waugh bowled a slower. Batsman Maninder Singh couldn't fathom length of the delivery which pierced through his defence and castled the stumps. Pin drop silence prevailed at the Chidambaram Stadium as Australia beat India by just 1 run.
In this match, Australia batting first had set a target of 271 runs for India. Geoff Marsh smashed a ton. India, in reply, fought well. Kris Srikanth and Navjot Singh Sidhu scored half-centuries. The match went into the last over and India could score only 269.
India VS New Zealand, Second Match
After a defeat in Chennai, India set their camp in Bengaluru. They were scheduled to meet New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on October 14. New Zealand won the toss and decided to bowl first. India lost openers Kris Srikanth and Sunil Gavaskar early as they were reduced to 16 for 2. Navjot Singh Sidhu shouldered the responsibility to fix India's wounds. He scored 75 runs with the help of 4 fours and 4 sixes. Later in the innings, captain Kapil Dev played whirlwind 72 runs innings off 58 balls to help India post 252 for 7 at the end of 50 overs.
In reply, New Zealand could score only 236 runs. Maninder Singh and Ravi Shastri took two wickets each. Kapil Dev was awarded Man of the Match for scoring match changing half-century. With this win, India earned four points.
India VS Zimbabwe, Third match
In their third match of the World Cup, India were set to play Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium in Bombay three days later. After a 16-run win against New Zealand, positive vibe prevailed in the Indian team. Players were in a jolly mood. In this match, Zimbabwe captain John Traicos won the toss and decided to bat first. But his batsmen failed to justify his decision as they were bundled out for paltry 135 runs inside 44.2 overs. Manoj Prabhakar and Maninder Singh bowled brilliantly for India. Pacer Manoj Prabhakar took 4 wickets while Maninder Singh got three. India won by the match by 8 wickets with 133 balls remaining. Manoj Prabhakar was adjudged Man of the Match.
India vs Australia, Fourth match
In their fourth match, India faced Australia for the second time in the tournament at Delhi on October 22. The memory of heartbreaking 1 run defeat to the Aussies in Chennai was still fresh among the Indian players. This time they made sure that they get better of the Aussies. Allan Border won the toss and decided to bowl first. His decision proved costly as India set a mammoth 290 runs target for Australia. Top-order batsmen Sunil Gavaskar (61), Navjot Singh Sidhu (51) and Dilip Vengsarkar (63) wreaked havoc on the visitors which set the tone of Indian innings.
Later a young Mohammad Azharuddin played quickfire 54 runs innings consuming just 45 balls.
Australia, in reply, got off to a superb start from opener Geoff Marsh and David Boon. They shared an 88-run first-wicket partnership. Boon scored 61. After their departures, Australian innings lost the track and they were eventually bowled out for 233. India won the match by 56 runs and took sweet revenge of Chennai defeat.
India vs Zimbabwe, Fifth match
Three successive wins gave a boost to India's campaign. They started believing that second World Cup title is not far away from them. With this mindset, they took on Zimbabwe at Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 26. This time, Indian captain Kapil Dev won the toss and decided to bowl first, a decision that tilted the match in India's favour from the very beginning.
Pace bowling pair of Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev bowled brilliantly, both taking two wickets each. Ravi Shastri and Maninder Singh also took a wicket apiece. Zimbabwe could score 191 for 7 at the end of 50 overs.
Indian batsmen, in reply, performed very well. Opener Sunil Gavaskar and Navjot Singh Sidhu scored half-centuries while Dilip Vengsarkar scored 33. All-rounder Kapil Dev contributed with the bat too scoring 41 off 25 balls that helped India win the match by 7 wickets with 8 overs to spare. Kapil Dev won the Man of the Match award.
India VS New Zealand, Sixth match
India's winning march continued. By October 31 the nation started believing that Kapil Dev's India was going to repeat the 1983 feat at home.
In the sixth match, winning the toss New Zealand opted to bat first at Nagpur. Indian bowlers proved them wrong restricting them for 221 in 50 overs. Chetan Sharma scripted history in this match as he became the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick. His victims were Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield.
In reply, Srikanth and Gavaskar shared 136 runs opening wicket partnership. While Srikanth scored 75, Gavaskar slammed his ODI career's only hundred, 103 not out to beat New Zealand by 9 wickets. Azharuddin was promoted to bat at No. 3 and he scored 41 not out. India chased down the target within 32.1 overs. In this match, Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Sharma were adjudged joint Man of the Match awardees for their spectacular performances.
With five wins in six matches, India sealed their place in the semifinal.
Semifinal
India's winning run was finally halted by England in the second semifinal of the 1987 World Cup. The match was played on November 5 at the Wankhede Stadium in Bombay. India's hope of winning the second consecutive World Cup title was shattered.
Winning the toss, India elected to field first. But the decision proved wrong as England opener Graham Gooch lashed out at the Indian bowlers playing fine 115 runs knock. Maninder Singh scalped 3 wickets while Kapil Dev took two. England had set 255 runs target for India to win this match. Mike Gatting also scored 54.
India's response was shaky as they lost last match's centurion Gavaskar for four. India were down to 7 for 1. Kris Srikanth and Sidhu, who performed brilliantly throughout the tournament, were dismissed quickly. India were in deep trouble. Azharuddin steadied the Indian innings scoring 64. Middle-order batsmen too contributed. But captain Kapil Dev's dismissal for 30 dashed India's hope as they were bowled out for 219 in the 46th over.
Eddie Hemmings and Neil Foster were picks of the England bowlers. While Hemmings scalped 4 wickets Foster got 3.
While England qualified for the World Cup final for the second time, India's first home World Cup campaign met a sad end.
The final was played between the winner of first semifinal Australia, who defeated Pakistan at Lahore, and England at the Eden Gardens on November 8. In a nail-biting clash, Australia emerged champions and lifted the World Cup for the first time beating England by 7 runs. For the record, England once again failed to materialize their wish of winning a 50-over World Cup. In 1979 final, England lost to West Indies at the Lord's.
