Dev Kap(il)tains, India don’t WIn

India made four changes to their playing eleven – Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Arun Lal, Balvinder Singh Sandhu and Thirumalai Sekhar were replaced by Anshuman Gaekwad, Ashok Malhotra, Madan Lal and Venkataraghavan. The selection of the offie was the biggest surprise of them all, because he (Srini)vas 37 years old then.

The West Indies made four changes to the team that last played the Indians – Alvin Kallicharran, Collis King, Deryck Murray and Colin Croft were replaced by the Trinidadian duo of Gus Logie and Larry Gomes, Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall.

Kapil Dev, who was back at the helm, won the toss, inserting the islanders. Gordon Greenidge, who faced 75 balls, scored 66. His innings included four boundaries and as many sixes. He was caught by Lal. Maninder Singh broke the 125-run stand.

Vivian Richards, who faced 38 balls, scored 32. His innings included four boundaries. He was caught by Gaekwad. Mohinder Amarnath broke the second-wicket partnership, which was worth 73.

Desmond Haynes, the player of the match, scored 97. His 104-ball innings included a dozen boundaries. He was caught by Yashpal Sharma. Dev broke the nine-run stand. Logie faced a dozen balls, scoring six. He was unbeaten.

Clive Lloyd, the West Indies’ skipper, wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he scored just three. He was caught by Syed Kirmani. Dev broke the eight-run stand.

India conceded 11 extras. The West Indians scored 215 for the loss of four wickets off 38.5 overs. Lal bowled seven overs, conceding 34. He was wicketless, as was Venkat, who bowled nine overs, conceding 48.

Amarnath bowled seven overs, conceding 39. He picked up a wicket, as did Singh, who bowled nine overs, conceding 62. Dev, who bowled 6.5 overs, conceded 21. He picked up a couple of scalps.

Gaekwad faced 52 balls, scoring 22. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Gomes broke the 55-run stand. Sunil Gavaskar faced 59 balls, scoring 25. His innings included three boundaries. He was caught by Andy Roberts. Joel Garner broke the four-run stand.

Dilip Vengsarkar, who faced 26 balls, scored 27. His innings included a boundary and a six. He was caught by Logie. Roberts broke the 51-run stand. The fourth-wicket pair didn’t open its account. Dev, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. Roberts trapped him leg before wicket.

Sharma faced half-a-dozen balls, scoring a couple. He was caught by Haynes. Gomes broke the five-run stand. The sixth-wicket pair put on just a couple. Amarnath, who faced 33 balls, scored 27. His innings included a boundary. He was run out.

Malhotra, who faced 14 balls, scored 21. His innings included three boundaries. He was caught by Michael Holding. Gomes broke the 23-run stand. Kirmani, who faced 16 balls, scored 13, as did Lal, who faced 30 balls. They were unbeaten.

The West Indians conceded 13 extras. India scored 163 for the loss of seven wickets off 39 overs, losing by 52 runs. Logie bowled a wicketless over, conceding just a run.

Holding bowled five overs, including a maiden. He conceded eight. He was wicketless, as was Marshall, who bowled eight overs. He conceded 25. Garner bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 39 and picked up a wicket.

Roberts bowled seven overs, including two maidens. He conceded 27 and picked up two wickets. Gomes, who bowled nine overs, conceded 50. He picked up three scalps.

The men from the Caribbean islands led the three-match series 1-0.