This is a better team than 1983. Also, we lost 5-0 to WI that time but this time we have managed to take at least 1 match and I feel in the end, we will manage to win one more.
There are similarities in our 1983 WC victories and 2007 20-20 victories. Although we beat WI in 1983 and Australia in 2007 WCs respectively, these victories were mere upsets. In spite of losing to India in 1983, there was no doubt in any cricket fan's mind that WI were the best team at that time, it just happened that India had a good day (& WI had a bad day on that particular finals). Same can be said after our 20-20 win against Australia. Although India's performance in the 20-20 WC was more convincing than that in the 1983 60 over WC, there was no reason to question Aussie supremacy in the 50 over version. Thus there is no need to be surprised by the say this series has been turning out.
RE:Better team than 1983
by anil babladi on Oct 13, 2007 12:54 PM Permalink
Bharath, let me reiterate your point here "1983, there was no doubt in any cricket fan's mind that WI were the best team at that time, it just happened that India had a good day (& WI had a bad day on that particular finals)." Can you not say the same about India's loss to Bangladesh?
RE:Better team than 1983
by HariOm Chawla on Oct 13, 2007 12:40 PM Permalink
No, this team is not better than the 1983 team. That team was filled with alrounders - Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri, Roger Binny, Balvinder Sandhu, Madan Lal, Mahender Amarnath, Kirti Azad. This team has no alrounders. After our six batsmen, the whole team can collapse without addition of even a single run. Then Kapil Dev could change the course of a lost match (Remember his innings against Zimbave), In the 5th ODI, there was not a single batsman who could resist even at home ground and take the inncings to the desired conclusion.
In our team, we desperately again need the match winners/all rounders/finishers like Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath, Ravi Shastri and others. At present, we do not have even a single all rounder.
RE:RE:Better team than 1983
by anil babladi on Oct 13, 2007 12:55 PM Permalink
That was the problem, we did not have any jack. We only had all rounders, people who did not a bit of everything not all of something and bit of others.
RE:Better team than 1983
by Paul Rufus on Oct 13, 2007 01:10 PM Permalink
That was a different era, game has changed a lot, have u see those players in action leaving kapil rest were morons as far as the fielding was concered. Srikant was hailed as best fielder in 1983 and not same kind of fielding is normal is todays cricket. Binny, sandhu,madan lal would be taken to cleaners had they been bowling today. This side anyday is better then 1983 team
