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When India had its moment in the sun

As retrospectives go, this one was a topper. Indian cricket has had its moments in the sun, many of which have been celebrated with gusto. The 1983 World Cup win remains so special that recapturing this golden moment is never going to tire the participants or the fans. Going back to Lord's to savour the moment of triumph that had come 25 years earlier was a brilliant idea. Having agreed to let the Indians gave their 'do' at the holiest of holy arenas of the game, the Marylebone Cricket Club was extremely friendly and gracious in making the nostalgic trip truly memorable for Kapil's Devils. Kapil is so chuffed he hasn't stopped talking about how great a trip it was to London. Calling in as soon as he landed back from the UK, the World Cup winning skipper said, "Everyone is happier than in '83. There is a shine on their faces." As the leader of the flock, he has been immensely pleased with the way his '83 lads have shaped up in career and life. "The '83 was the best team ever. I sat and thought about all the guys who came on the 1985 tour to Australia, but I don't believe everyone on it can be as happy as the lot who won the World Cup. Everyone looks happy and healthy. They had such rich things to talk about while we were travelling as a team to the two events in New Delhi and Lord's," Kapil admitted. As the keynote speaker at the two events, Kapil had as big a responsibility as when he walked out to bat with the scoreboard reading 9-4 and which had soon descended to 17-5 at Tunbridge Wells, a defining moment of the campaign that changed not only Indian cricket but also the world order. Kapil was not the greatest communicator when he was a fledgling. It was not so much a matter of which language he chose to spoke in as it was what he said and how he said it. The transformation is remarkable. Kapil has made a very special effort to be a cool talker and entertainer with words. He admitted quite freely that he had picked up considerably on the nuances of speech in the 25 years and more that have passed since the most famous victory of Indian cricket came at Lord's on 25 June 1983. "So many came up to me and said - 'You talked so well.' I know that has not been my strength, but over 25 years I have also learnt a bit. I know they are sincere because they don't have to praise me now. I am no more the captain. I am only their friend. But they turned around and said - 'No, you are still the skipper.' That made me mighty proud," Kapil said. In fact, Ravi Shastri, the cricketer who has made speaking on television a fine art to be able to rub shoulders with the best of them from around the world, told Kapil that the introductions he gave at the dinners in Delhi and London were the best he has had in his entire career. For two days, the team was one happy family, sharing meals, jokes, anecdotes and cocktails at the Piccadilly Hilton. With wives and family on tour, this was different from what the World Cup tour had been. There was so much good cheer the retrospective will remain as memorable for the players as the win itself had been. Sunil Gavaskar had not been well, the cold flight out under an airline blanket affecting him quite badly. He did, however, hold the company in thrall the next morning at breakfast, speaking always like an elder statesman. As the brain behind the Lord's event, he sort of doubled the happiness with the togetherness of a trip thrown in. Kapil said that the Delhi function had been better because that was the first time his boys heard their skipper turn into an after-dinner speaker who could play on words and hold the audience in thrall. At Lord's, the players could anticipate what was coming. "After 25 years, they are grandfathers, not boys. I am glad the way things have gone in their lives for all of them," Kapil said in signing off on the trip down memory lane.