Today we are going to tell you about a unique incident on the cricket field, when former captain Kapil Dev showed sportsman spirit and gave 2 runs to Australia for free. Although India lost this match by 1 run but Kapil won everyone’s heart by showing generosity.
For the first time a World Cup was held outside England in 1987. This time the tournament was being hosted by India and Pakistan. Cricket was very popular in the Indian subcontinent. To take advantage of this, Jagmohan Dalmiya and the Pakistan Cricket Board had agreed to host the tournament. India was the winner in 1983. He landed in 1987 to defend the title. The third match of the tournament was played between defending champions India and Australia at the Chepauk ground in Chennai. On 9 October, Captain Kapil Dev won the toss and decided to bowl first. Australian openers David Boone and Geoff Marsh both started to test the Indian bowlers with great batting. After scoring 110 runs for the team, Boone was dismissed after scoring 49 runs.
Dean Jones arrived on the field after Boone returned. Jones had scored a historic double century in a Test match at the same Chennai ground a year ago. Jones once again showed a great game. He was attacking the spin bowlers. Meanwhile, the second opener Marsh completed his century.
Jones was also in form. He plays a shot off Maninder Singh towards long on. At that time, the tallest player of the Indian team, Ravi Shastri, failed to catch the ball coming from a height and the ball fell down. That is, even missed the catch. But the ball fell very close to the boundary. In such a situation, whether it is a six or a four, umpire Dickie Bird could not decide. When he asked Ravi Shastri whether it was a four or a six, Shastri called it a four. Then the on-field umpire Bird gave away 4 runs. Here, batsman Dean Jones was saying, it is a six. Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More told Jones that it was a four. Why are you feeling six?
In such a situation, Australia’s score increased from 268 to 270 and India had a target of 271 runs to win. Veteran Indian openers Sunil Gavaskar and Krishnamachari Srikkanth opened the innings with 69 runs. After Gavaskar’s dismissal, Navjot Singh Sidhu adopted the strategy of playing fast from the first ball. With 131 runs on the scoreboard, Srikanth was dismissed for 70 by Steve Waugh. When Sidhu was dismissed for 73, India’s score was 207-3. It seemed that India would win, but Azharuddin, Shastri, Kapil Dev lost early wickets and suddenly turned the match towards Australia.
Then in the 49th over, all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar was dismissed on a precise throw by Allan Border. India needed six runs to win in the last over. At the same time, Kiran More and Maninder Singh were the last pair on the field. Striker Maninder Singh scored two runs each off Steve Waugh’s first and fourth balls to take India closer to victory. Then India needed two runs off two balls to win, but Maninger was dismissed on the fifth ball. In this way the Indian team was bundled out for 269 runs and lost the match by 1 run. Had Kapil Dev not given 2 runs to the Kangaroos for free, the match would have been in India’s favour. But even though India lost this match, Kapil Dev had won everyone’s heart by showing sportsmanship.
