ICC World Cup 1979: The Caribbean Calypso Conquers All; The Era Of Giants

The only difference was that instead of East Africa, Canada was the team to qualify, along with Sri Lanka. As always, the big guns were expected to fire.

THE ICC WORLD CUP 1979 was a chapter of absolute dominance by the West Indies, then a fearsome combination that brooked no opposition. The Caribbean kings, led by the suave Clive Lloyd and branded by the swagger of the inimitable Vivian Richards, were just unstoppable as the second chapter of the Prudential World Cup was played in the same format as the 1975 version – eight teams divided into two groups of four each. The only difference was that instead of East Africa, Canada was the team to qualify, along with Sri Lanka. As always, the big guns were expected to fire.

Major upset

As it turned out, that was not quite true. Australia, runners-up in 1975 to the West Indies, did not even qualify for the semi-finals after a disastrous league stage, where they lost both to England and Pakistan in the league stage.

Granted, Australia were not half the side they were in 1975, as the World Series Cricket (WSC) organised by Australian media baron Kerry Packer attracted a lot of the top names, who were thereafter slapped suspensions by the International Cricket Conference (ICC) and thereby were not available.

Nevertheless, Australia ran between the wickets like they had resumed from the 1975 final. That match saw five Aussie run-outs, and their next World Cup match, in 1979 against England, saw four batters being found short. From 111/3, Australia were reduced to 159/9 and that just wasn’t enough.

The biggest shock however came against Pakistan. The Pakistanis, boasting Sadiq Mohammed, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad and skipper Asif Iqbal were formidable and scored 286/7. Then Majid chipped in with three wickets as well as Sikander Bakht and Imran Khan were on point as Australia were dismissed for 197, losing by 89 runs and exiting the World Cup.

West Indies unstoppable

The West Indians were fantastic. No side was good enough to stop them and, in any case, they were in the relatively easier group.

India had no answer to the giant fast-bowling quintet of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Collis King and were dismissed for 190, which also was thanks to a patient 75 from Gundappa Viswanath.

Then Gordon Greenidge sailed to an unbeaten century and between him, Desmond Haynes and Richards, the job was easy.

The West Indies-Sri Lanka match was washed out and then the Caribbeans beat New Zealand to ensure a semi-final berth.

The last four saw Greenidge, Haynes, Richards, Lloyd and King in fine nick and 293/6 was too much for Pakistan, despite some valiant resistance from Majid Khan and Zaheer Abbas. Ironically, Vivian Richards’ innocuous off-spin was as lethal as the fearsome fast bowlers.

England duly made the final against New Zealand and the hosts met the West Indies at Lord’s on June 23.

Chris Old and Mike Hendrick had West Indies in trouble and they were 99/4 before Richards and King, the original pinch-hitter, carved together a 139-run fifth-wicket stand.

Richards was his imperious self, with 138 not out off 157 deliveries while King blasted 86 off 66 balls with 10 boundaries and three sixes. A total of 286/9 was very challenging indeed.

A painstakingly slow opening stand between Mike Brearley and Geoffrey Boycott ensured England were never really in the race and Garner was unstoppable. His 5/38 off 11 overs and contributions by Croft and Holding ensured the West Indies their second successive World Cup.

India’s horror run

India had a World Cup to forget. Not only they lost to the West Indies and New Zealand, they also conceded points to Sri Lanka, still an associate nation, and were sent packing rather unceremoniously.

After the West Indies defeat, India went down to New Zealand. Batting first, they managed just 182 runs. Sunil Gavaskar scored 55 off 144 deliveries and barring Brijesh Patel in the middle-order and a bit of long handle by Kapil Dev and Karsan Ghavri lower down, there was nothing of note.

John Wright and Bruce Edgar added exactly 100 for the New Zealand opening stand and that effectively was that.

But the worst came five days later.

Sunil Wettimuny, Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis punished the Indian bowling as the islanders scored 238/5 off 60 overs and then the Indian batting, boasting Gavaskar, Anshuman Gaekwad, Dilip Vengsarkar, Viswanath and Brijesh Patel just never stuck around long enough and a lower-order collapse ensured that India had conceded points to the minnows.

India ended with zero points, below Sri Lanka’s one (no-result with West Indies).

This was hardly the backdrop that India needed, and no wonder they were not really taken seriously in the subsequent World Cup in 1983. But then, that is another story.

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