Looking back at India's first-ever World Cup victory

The 2023 ICC World Cup will take place in India in October. The Indians will be tasked with stopping the high-flying England team that is the reigning champion after their win at Lords Cricket Ground on home soil in 2019.

India is expected to win their third World Cup this year

India is one of the most successful nations in cricket history. When it comes to the 50-overs tournament, the nation has already triumphed on two occasions in the past. This year they are expected to make it three according to the cricket betting markets, in which they are favourites to win the ICC World Cup in October.

The talented Indian team can take inspiration from the great team of the past that captured World glory for their nation for the first time ever. The 1983 team made India world champions and ended the West Indies' dominance in the process. But how did they do it?

The group stage

The 1983 tournament held in England was just the third instalment of the One Day International Cricket World Cup. Eight teams featured including then double champions the West Indies.

India finished second in the group stage behind the holding champions, yet went on to win the overall competition. They began the tournament with a victory over the West Indies by 34 runs at Old Trafford.

Yashpal Sharma was India's star batsman with 89 runs and a 74.16 strike rate. India had an abundance of exceptional batters that impressed during the group stage, and it was also the story of their following game against Zimbabwe. Sandeep Patil's 50 runs on a strike rate of 92.59 were the main reason for victory against the African nation.

India were beaten convincingly in their third fixture of the event hosted by England. Australia recorded a remarkable 162-run triumph in Nottingham. A majority of India's stars endured off days, and the drop in form carried over to the return game against the West Indies.

The West Indies recorded a 66-run victory, with key batsman Viv Richards recording 119 runs alone. India however found an improvement in their form to conclude the preliminary stage with victories over Zimbabwe and Australia.

The knockout stage

In the semi-finals India was paired against England - a nation that they have forged a fierce rivalry with ever since.

India beat the Three Lions by six wickets, largely due to their impressive bowling. The captain Kapil Dev impressed most as he captured three wickets alone. Patil was also exceptional on the batting side of things for India with a ridiculous strike rate of 159.37 which helped him to record 51 runs not out.

The progression from the semi-final set up a huge final against group-stage opponents the West Indies. The two nations met for the third time in quick succession in what was a winner-takes-all contest.

India won somewhat comfortably by 43 runs, demonstrating that the West Indies' superior group-stage finish meant little. Dev led by example with a huge strike rate of 187.5. In truth, the entire India team showed up that day, each and every player was immaculate.

The historic 1983 champions showed the ability to dominate on occasion, as well as being able to respond to tough defeats. The current team could take inspiration from the greats of the past, their mentality was not dampened by group-stage defeats, and they went on to claim victory when it mattered most.