Kapil the extraordinary

There’s a lot more to Kapil Dev than mere numbers, which were impressive in themselves. He arrived at a time when India relied primarily on spinners, he defied convention with his daring hitting and did the unthinkable by lifting the World Cup, an outcome which not even the most optimistic of fans would have foreseen. Plying his trade primarily on flat, dusty pitches at home, he surged to the world record number of wickets. He was supremely fit and when abroad did the bulk of the bowling.

A Test average of 31.05 doesn’t indicate what a good batsman he was, capable of playing that one blinding knock which can stun the opposition. Some of his centuries are forgotten epics, largely because he never managed it on a consistent basis. Yet, he must be judged on the circumstances he played in. He didn’t have the bowling support that Imran Khan enjoyed and didn’t enjoy the seaming conditions that Richard Hadlee and Ian Botham thrived in. He rose against the tide and defied convention.