Read the article of India home on the bat of Kapil Dev - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 2nd ODI match played between New Zealand and India at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane in 11th January 1986.
A MAGNIFICENT all-round performance by Kapil Dev enabled India to uphold their reputation as the world's most formidable limited-over team at the Gabba. Kapil Dev, 27, scored an unbeaten 54 from 53 balls, and took one wicket for 28 from his 10 overs, as India overpowered New Zea- land by five wickets in a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup match.
Chasing a most challenging 260, India won with two overs to spare after Dev and his deputy Ravi Shastri, produced an unbroken stand of 87 in 14 overs for the sixth wicket.
India, the holders of every major limited-over trophy in the world, had never before scored 260 to win a one-day match. Indeed it was the third highest score in a WSC match at the Gabba, 10 shy of the record achieved by the West Indies against Sri Lanka.
Earlier, diverse but tell- ing innings by Martin Crowe and Bruce Edgar enabled New Zealand to achieve a sparkling run rate of 5.18. Crowe, who has been in irresistible form throughout the season, scored 76 from 84 balls and Edgar, a more conservative player, 75 from 118 deliveries.
Arrogant
Their outstanding second wicket partnership of 130 from 26 overs provided New Zealand with the impetus for their 259. But, in the end, it was not enough. India, needing to score at 5.2 runs per over for victory, began in the most arrogant fashion, hammering 50 from the first 7.5 overs.
Remarkably, it was Sunil Gavaskar and not the acknowledged clubber, Krish Srikkanth, who led the charge: and had the sun-hatted crowd of 10,209 baying for more. Gavaskar stunned the New Zealanders by clouting 11 - including a flat-batted whack over the mid-wicket fence - off the first over from Ewen Chatfield.
Chatfield was at the point of despair after his first 17 balls had cost 30 runs, but gained revenge when his 18th bowled Gavaskar. The legendary 'Sunny' had hammered a scintillat- ing hand of 27 from just 17 balls and shared an opening partnership of 40 in only five overs.
Inspired by his deeds, the normally sedate Mohinder Amarnath also hit out, and was the major contributor in the telling second innings stand of 97 in 18 overs with Srikkanth However, when Srikkanth was run out while ambitiously trying to steal his 51st run on an over-throw, the Indian run-rate dropped markedly.
It was further slowed by another run out, that of Mohammed Azharuddin, and the dismissals of Amarnath (61 from 73 balls) and Dilip Vengsarkar (nine from 29 deliveries). But it was obvious that neither Dev nor Shastri was prepared to squander the priceless opportunity provided by Gavaskar, Srikkanth and Amarnath.
With the exception of Dev and Amarnath, the Indian bowlers were powerless to halt Crowe and Edgar. Crowe, of course, has a great affection for this ground, having scored a magnificent 188 in the first Test with Australia last
November. And he demonstrated yesterday just as he did in Melbourne on Thursday when he gathered 71 from 57 balls that he lost none of his touch during the few weeks he spent back in New Zealand.
Powerfully-built, he played with freedom from the outset, being particularly severe on medium-pacer Chetan Sharma. With Edgar prepared to play a more sedate role - quietly and constructively gathering singles to give his partner the strike - Crowe slammed 10 runs from Sharma's first over. It set the tenor for his assault on the bowlers and the New Zealand run-rate never fell below about 4.2.