Game lost in the middle overs, says Bravo

Kapil Dev

From Orin Gordon at The Oval in London

Kapil Dev, over a modest lunch at the table next to mine, sized up India’s chances of chasing down 233.

India, favourites for the ODI trophy after easing into the next round, owes Kapil a huge debt. His 72 in 38 balls at Albion in 1983 was one of the most destructive ODI innings I’ve seen. It won the game for India, and gave them confidence going into the World Cup that summer. The rest is history—and again Kapil played his part taking a difficult catch to check a rampaging Viv Richards, the decisive dismissal of the match.

Thirty years later the great all-rounder looks as