In a country like India where cricket is a religion, Triumphs are celebrated in grand style like any other festivals. When it comes to the biggest triumphs it is hard to look past the two world cup wins. Both the cups are often subject to comparison and debate over which one was better. Here's a look at a few pointers comparing the two World Cup wins.
Pre math and Expectations -
1983 was only the 3rd edition of the cricket World Cup. Going into the tournament there were no expectations from the Indian team as India had won only one match in the previous two editions. Many players including captain Kapil Dev had said that the players looked at the tournament as a fun holiday and they only started believing after they reached the knockout stages.
Recommended Read | 1983 Cricket World Cup win: The story behind India's greatest win
Cut to 2011, it was the 10th edition of the world cup. India had failed to win the tournament for 28 years. After falling short to Australia in the 2003 final India hit a new low in 2007 after getting knocked out in the group stage. India since then had built a strong one day side with a good core of experienced players under M.S Dhoni. India were clear favourites going into the world cup and the Indian media had portrayed it in that way.
Pressure -
There was no pressure on the Indian side in 1983 due to low expectations and foreign conditions. In 2011 India played all the matches except one at home and the fact that India had failed to win the tournament in 28 years added to the immense pressure.
Tournament -
In 1983 India won 4 out of the 6 group stage games finishing 2nd in the group. Opening batsmen Sunil Gavaskar said that the first time they thought that there was any chance that they might be taking the cup home was when they beat West Indies in the first game. India comfortably cruised past England in the 1983 Semi-final and managed to defend 183 runs against the mighty West Indies in the finals
In 2011 as well India won 4 out of 6 matches comfortably. The only loss of their campaign came against South Africa. The game against England ended up being only the 4th tied game in the history of the world cup. India finished 2nd in the group behind South Africa. India then defeated rivals Australia and Pakistan in the knockout games and then got a gritty victory against Srilanka to win the cup
Impact -
'Cricket is more than just a game in India' is a recurring statement and credit has to go to the 1983 world cup. The image of Kapil Dev picking up the trophy in the Lord's balcony inspired a generation of kids to play cricket. The victory in 2011 was a celebration like never before. Talking about the impact of the 2 world cups, the winner of the 2011 edition Ravichandran Ashwin said that "If the 1983 win set the stage for cricket in India 2011 was the party".
Which is better than the other depends on the mindset and what you mean by better. To say that '1983 was the beginning of a revolution and 2011 was the peak of it' wouldn't be wrong.
Also Read | World cup 2011 winners and where are they
