Kapil Dev's 175, and Duncan Fletcher's all-round show

A brief introduction into the methodology of Performance Analysis.

The Batting Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Runs scored, Balls faced, Next highest score (if this is the highest score), % of Team score, Innings status at entry, Bowling quality, Pitch information, Team strengths, Target score in front, Match location, Result and Match importance. These parameters are given appropriate weights. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to a mind-blowing and match-winning score of 200 in 150 balls in a WC final.

The Bowling Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Wickets captured, Quality of batsmen dismissed, Scores at which batsmen were dismissed, Bowling accuracy, Batting quality, Pitch information, Team strengths, Target being defended, Match location, Result and Match importance. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to a magnificent and match-winning analysis of 10-2-15-6 in a WC final.

The Player Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Batting Rating points, Bowling Rating points and the Fielding Rating points, which is a combination of catches and stumpings. There are minimum criteria for batting and bowling stints to ensure that these are genuinely all-round performances.

The Team Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Result, Margin of win, Resources utilized, Team strengths, Match location and Match importance. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to an overwhelming win by 150 runs or 8 wickets in a WC final.

Let us move on to the Performance Analysis tables for 1983.

Top Batting performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Batsman	For	Vs	Runs	Balls
1	738	1983	216	N Kapil Dev	India	Zim	175*	138
2	349	1983	197	MD Crowe	New Zealand	Eng	97	118
3	348	1983	210	IVA Richards	West Indies	Ind	119	146
4	339	1983	201	DI Gower	England	Slk	130	120
5	336	1983	200	Yashpal Sharma	India	Win	89	120
6	329	1983	218	Zaheer Abbas	Pakistan	Nzl	103*	121
7	317	1983	197	AJ Lamb	England	Nzl	102	105
8	312	1983	207	TM Chappell	Australia	Ind	110	131
9	312	1983	222	IVA Richards	West Indies	Pak	80*	96
10	298	1983	211	Imran Khan	Pakistan	Slk	102*	133

This Kapil Dev innings is the lily which need not be gilded. So much has been written about it. Kapil came in at 9 for 4, saw the score slide to 17 for 5, and scored an unbeaten 175 to take India to 266 for 8 and on to a 31 run win. And a week later to the World Cup win. This was one of the greatest ODI innings of all time. Martin Crowe's brave 97 follows next, a mile away, albeit in a losing cause. Richards' measured 119 against India follows next. He would dearly have liked to have transferred a few of these runs to the final. David Gower's smooth-as-silk innings contained five sixes, not so common those days. Yashpal Sharma's innings was an important match-winner against West Indies.

Top Bowling performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Bowler	For	Vs	Analysis
1	483	1983	207	KH MacLeay	India	Aus	11.5 - 3 - 39 - 6
2	472	1983	214	ALF de Mel	New Zealand	Slk	12.0 - 4 - 32 - 5
3	458	1983	223	S Madan Lal	West Indies	Ind	12.0 - 2 - 31 - 3
4	419	1983	206	RJ Hadlee	Sri Lanka	Nzl	10.1 - 4 - 25 - 5
5	410	1983	203	WW Davis	Australia	Win	10.3 - 0 - 51 - 7
6	391	1983	211	ALF de Mel	Pakistan	Slk	12.0 - 1 - 39 - 5
7	367	1983	223	M Amarnath	West Indies	Ind	7.0 - 0 - 12 - 3
8	362	1983	199	DAG Fletcher	Australia	Zim	11.0 - 1 - 42 - 4
9	360	1983	211	Abdul Qadir	Sri Lanka	Pak	12.0 - 1 - 44 - 5
10	344	1983	202	Abdul Qadir	New Zealand	Pak	12.0 - 4 - 21 - 4

Unlikely in the next two World Cups, there were a number of five-wicket bowling efforts during 1983. The bowling table is headed by MacLeay's six-wicket haul against India. It was a very average batting performance by the Indians. This is followed by de Mel's 5 for 32 against New Zealand. This match was won by Sri Lanka: an upset of sorts in those days. Then comes possibly the most important 3-wicket bowling effort by any bowler: Madan Lal's 3 for 31 against West Indies in the final. He dismissed Haynes, Richards and Gomes. Amarnath's cleaning up act of 3 for 12 in the final comes later in the table. Winston Davis' seven-wicket haul, the first in ODI history, is in the top five.

Top Player performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Player	For	Vs	Runs	Balls	Analysis
1	623	1983	199	DAG Fletcher	Zimbabwe	Aus	69*	84	11.0-1-42-4
2	562	1983	223	S Madan Lal	India	Win	17	27	12.0-2-31-3
3	488	1983	202	Abdul Qadir	Pakistan	Nzl	41*	68	12.0-4-21-4
4	485	1983	223	M Amarnath	India	Win	26	80	7.0-0-12-3
5	443	1983	207	N Kapil Dev	India	Aus	40	27	12.0-2-43-5
6	442	1983	216	KM Curran	Zimbabwe	Ind	73	93	12.0-1-65-3
7	436	1983	218	Zaheer Abbas	Pakistan	Nzl	103*	121	4.0-1- 8-1
8	422	1983	221	M Amarnath	India	Eng	46	92	12.0-1-27-2
9	347	1983	209	JV Coney	New Zealand	Eng	66*	97	12.0-2-27-1
10	293	1983	209	RJ Hadlee	New Zealand	Eng	31	45	10.0-3-32-3

One of the greatest WC upsets was Zimbabwe's defeat of Australia in 1983. One player led the effort from the front: their captain, Duncan Fletcher, unfortunately much-maligned by Indian fans nowadays. His quick 69 took Zimbabwe to a middling total of 239. Then he captured 4 top order Australian wickets to secure an unlikely 13-run win. Madan Lal's useful 17 at no.9, coupled with his 3-wicket haul in the final got him to a second place. Amarnath, with his similar valuable cameo and 3-wicket haul, is in fifth place. Kapil Dev, with his economical spell supplementing the great innings of 175 is in the top half of the table.

Top Team performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Team	Own score	Vs	Other score
1	818	1983	223	India	183 for 10 in 54.4	Win	140 for 10 in 52.0
2	720	1983	221	India	217 for 4 in 54.4	Eng	213 for 10 in 60.0
3	711	1983	222	West Indies	188 for 2 in 48.4	Pak	184 for 8 in 60.0
4	692	1983	207	Australia	320 for 9 in 60.0	Ind	158 for 10 in 37.5
5	688	1983	217	England	137 for 1 in 24.1	Slk	136 for 10 in 50.4
6	674	1983	199	Zimbabwe	239 for 6 in 60.0	Aus	226 for 7 in 60.0
7	660	1983	219	India	247 for 10 in 55.5	Aus	129 for 10 in 38.2
8	650	1983	197	England	322 for 6 in 60.0	Nzl	216 for 10 in 59.0
9	642	1983	205	England	199 for 2 in 50.4	Pak	193 for 8 in 60.0
10	641	1983	214	Sri Lanka	184 for 7 in 52.5	Nzl	181 for 10 in 58.2

India's surprisingly easy final win propelled them to the top of the Team standings. The fact that the margin was 43 runs with a low first innings score of 183 helped them a lot. The quality of the West Indian team was an added factor. India's easy 6-wicket win over England in the semi final is in second place. England was also a strong team. The other semi final provides the third place. Pakistan was vanquished by West Indies. Zimbabwe's upset win over Australia is in sixth place.

This was the World Cup in which the tortoise moved past the winning post after the self destruction of the hare. There was a bit of arrogance in the West Indian batting. Richards had the match in his hands and if he had batted for another 30 minutes West Indies would have won. There was a portent to this in the league win by India over West Indies. But there is no denying that this was a much loved Indian team and each player contributed his bit. The last man, Sandhu scored 11 and bowled the ball of the match castling Greenidge with a devastating in-swinger. India's semi final win over England was unexpected and comprehensive.

The match of the tournament, other than the final, was Zimbabwe's upset win over Australia.
The partnership of the tournament was Imran Khan's stand of 144 for the sixth wicket, with Shahid Mahboob.
The innings of the tournament: this could very well be called the innings of the ten World Cups, the 175 by Kapil Dev.
The bowling spell was probably Fletcher's 4 top order Australian wickets.