Kapil Dev's top backward-running catch to dismiss Viv Richards in 1983 WC final: Watch

Thursday marked the 37th anniversary of India lifting its first ODI World Cup in 1983. The 1983 World Cup final is one of India's most memorable matches as India defended a modest total of 183 against the mighty West Indies team. However, it wasn't easy for the Indians as batting great Viv Richards was taking the game away and guiding the Caribbean team to their third consecutive World Cup title at one point of the match.

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1983 World Cup final: Kapil Dev catch to dismiss Viv Richards that turned the match on its head

Chasing a paltry 184 for victory seemed like a formality for Viv Richards who had breezed away to 33 from 27 balls, as West Indies were 57 for the loss of two wickets. Viv Richards, whose game was based on dominance, hooked one-off medium-pacer Madan Lal, only to mistime it. However, the ball still propelled away towards the mid-wicket fence.

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Indian skipper Kapil Dev, who had stationed himself at short midwicket, ran backwards with his eyes set on the ball. It took a sprint of a few yards for Kapil Dev, who then remarkably grabbedthe ball over his shoulder. Kapil Dev made it look very simple and always was watching the ball. What followed was sheer disbelief at first and then it was mayhem. The mighty Viv Richards was back in the pavilion. 

This catch turned the tide of the match in India’s favour as West Indies failed to recover from there. Eight wickets fells for the next 83 runs as India won their maiden World Cup title ensuring the fall of the Caribbean Empire. Apart from the West Indies, India became the first team to lay their hands on cricket’s most prestigious silverware. The Kapil Dev catch in the 1983 World Cup final is considered to be one of the best catches of all-time in cricket.

Kapil Dev catch: Here's a video of the sensational catch

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Kapil Dev's words that motivated players to defend 183 in 1983 World Cup Final

While speaking on a show ‘Winning the Cup – 1983’, Srikkanth went on to say that with the West Indies' batting line-up and looking at 183, the Indian players had lost heart already but Kapil Dev had then said one thing that changed everything. Srikkanth narrated that Kapil Dev did not say that India would win but motivated the players by saying even though the Indian team have been bundled out for 183, they should build resistance instead of giving away the match so easily. Recalling that epic win, the former opening batsman mentioned that Kapil Dev's words were the turning point for Indian cricket and for Indians and that too at a time when cricket was dominated by West Indies, Australia and England at the most.

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VIDEO COURTESY: ICC