On this day: Kapil Dev makes his Test debut
43 years ago, on this day, the legendary Indian cricketer and captain Kapil Dev took his first step in Test cricket. In his illustrious career, the all-rounder from Haryana took the world by storm and established himself as one of the greatest all-rounders to have played the game. Dev is hailed as a historic figure in Indian cricket as he guided the nation to victory in the 1983 World Cup.
The year was 1978 when Kapil Dev donned the Indian jersey for the very first time and faced a full-strength Pakistan team in Faisalabad, Pakistan. He was given this opportunity after his splendid performance in the domestic circuit for the Haryana team in the Ranji Trophy.
What happened in the game?
On October 16, 1978, Pakistan skipper Mushtaq Mohammad won the toss and chose to bat first. Touted to be the next big thing in Indian cricket, Kapil Dev had an unimpressive start to his glorious career. The two Pakistan legends Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad stitched a mighty partnership worth 255 runs to take their team towards a massive total of 500 runs. In the 16 overs Kapil bowled, he gave away 71 runs including two maiden overs. The 19-year-old’s figures in batting were really disappointing as he came to bat at number eight and could contribute only as many runs as his batting position.
Meanwhile, Kapil made a strong comeback in the second innings as he claimed his maiden internatioanl wicket in the form of Pakistani opener, Sadiq Mohammad. He also emerged as India’s most economical bowler as he bowled 12 overs, including three maidens, while giving away 25 runs at an economy of 2.08. The all-rounder didn’t get a chance to showcase his batting skills as India drew the match with openers Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan batting out the remaining time.
While the Test series did announce the arrival of Kapil Dev, the series was largely forgettable for India. The visitors had a disastrous tour as hosts clinched the Test series by 2-0.
Kapil’s career at a glance
The lanky all-rounder finished his golden period in Indian cricket with 5284 runs and 434 scalps in 131 Test matches. His exploits continued in the One Day Internationals too as in 225 fixtures he amassed 3,783 runs and took 253 wickets while maintaining an economy of 3.71. He still holds the unique record of having scored more than 4000 runs in Test cricket while taking 400 wickets.
The veteran cricketer went on to become one of the most celebrated all-rounders in the cricket fraternity. He was the man behind India’s successful run in the World Cup 1983. Kapil Dev played a pioneering role in transforming the course of Indian cricket and inspired millions across the globe.
