Hyderabad: All-rounder Glenn Maxwell was the cynosure of eyes at the iconic Wankhede Stadium when he hammered a blistering unbeaten 201 to guide Australia to a three-wicket win over Afghanistan in their league stage fixture on Tuesday. For many cricket enthusiasts and cricket buffs, the Maxwell show in Mumbai, in which he struck 21 boundaries and 10 maximums, reminded them of former India World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev's knock of 175 not out, which he played during the 1983 World Cup.
Former India player and head coach Ravi Shastri, who was part of the 1983 World Cup winning team, instantly took to social media, and posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Stunning. Reminds me of Kaps of 83.
@Gmaxi_32 @therealkapildev @ICC @cricketworldcup #AUSvsAFG #Cricket (sic)."
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Stunning. Reminds me of Kaps of 83.@Gmaxi_32 @therealkapildev @ICC @cricketworldcup #AUSvsAFG #Cricket pic.twitter.com/z4YhFh3Ges
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) November 7, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Stunning. Reminds me of Kaps of 83.@Gmaxi_32 @therealkapildev @ICC @cricketworldcup #AUSvsAFG #Cricket pic.twitter.com/z4YhFh3Ges
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) November 7, 2023Stunning. Reminds me of Kaps of 83.@Gmaxi_32 @therealkapildev @ICC @cricketworldcup #AUSvsAFG #Cricket pic.twitter.com/z4YhFh3Ges
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) November 7, 2023
Shastri, who was part of that historic game and was dismissed on one, perhaps was not alone.
Like Maxwell, who pulled his team out of trouble, Kapil Dev had also pulled the India team out of trouble against the game against Zimbabwe and turned the game on its head at Tunbridge Wells in England.
As was the case, Kapil Dev walked into bat when the team was down and out and then forged partnerships with lower-order batters to ensure that his bowlers had something to defend.
Sunil Gavaskar (0), Kris Srikkanth (0), Mohinder Amarnath (5), Sandeep Patil (1), and late Yashpal Sharma (9) were back in the dressing room when the team was reeling at 17-5.
In walked skipper Kapil Dev, who first forged a stand with former India all-rounder and current BCCI chief Roger Binny to rally the innings.
When Roger Binny (22), Ravi Shastri (1), and Madan Lal (17) fell, Kapil took the onus on himself and found an able ally in Syed Kirmani (24 not out), as he took India to a challenging 266/8 in their allotted 60 overs
India then bundled out Zimbabwe for 235 with Madan Lal (3/42) taking three wickets to eke out a 31-run win
That win played a key role in India's first ODI World Cup triumph, which inspired a generation of cricketers, including batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
Cut to Tuesday, the setting was different, the venue was different, and the scenario was different when Maxwell was firing on all cylinders but still people reminisced and connected to Kapil Dev's gritty knock.
For the record, Kapil Dev played the stunning Innings while setting a target, in a 60-over day game and in England, while Maxwell did it under lights and in the company of his skipper Pat Cummins, who played his part to perfection.
Veteran sports scribe G Viswanath, who covered both the knocks in 1983 for Sportsweek and the one on Tuesday for Eastern Chronicle, said that both the knocks were demanded by circumstances.
"Both were demanded by circumstances, nay by dire situations, what was needed of the hour. Kapil Dev’s 175 not out against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells in Kent in 1983 came in a 60-over match and in the first innings. It was systematically executed by a terrific all-rounder whose flair came to the fore," Viswanath told ETV Bharat on Wednesday.
"Glenn Maxwell’s undertaking was similarly thoughtful. He bludgeoned Afghanistan which was in a euphoric mood when Australia was 91/7. Maxwell is a big hitter, he had overs to play with to plan and execute the chase. He had luck too, but as the former Australian Steve Waugh said once: you have to make your own luck. Maxwell steadily caused the mental disintegration of the Afghanistan team," added Viswanath.
The other difference - is there is no video footage of the iconic Innings of Kapil Dev, as there was a strike by BBC, and Tuesday's blitzkrieg by Maxwell was not only watched by over 18,000 crowds at the Wankhede Stadium, but also crores of TV and digital viewers.
Last but not least, both Kapil Dev and Glenn Maxwell were adjudged as the Player of the Match for their stupendous knock, both of which will be remembered for their age.
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