Fifer in Melbourne to beating Pakistan in 1985: Kapil Dev reveals 8 standout moments of his career

Widely regarded as the greatest Indian all-rounder, Kapil Dev recently sat down with Wisden to recollect the eight best moments of his cricketing career. Kapil Dev held the record for highest wickets in the longest format of the game (434) for a long time, and also led India to its first-ever victory in the World Cup when the side defeated West Indies at Lord's.

Dev shared eight standout moments from his career, during which he played 131 Tests and 225 ODIs.

No balls during Ranji Trophy match, 1975

The legendary Indian cricketer admitted that he was very 'raw' in his debut. In the match between Haryana and Punjab, he bowled a huge amount of no-balls because it was his first time playing on a pitch. The match took place in Rohtak.

First Test hundred against West Indies, 1979

Kapil Dev scored his first Test century in 1979 against West Indies in Delhi. It came before he took his first five-wicket haul in the longest format of the game. Remembering the moment, Dev said, "Test cricket was new to me – my debut was the first Test I saw – so it took me time to understand how to bowl to take wickets. That hundred was very sweet because I was established that day. People started saying, ‘He’s an all-rounder, he can bat’, and that helps you stay in the team."

Youngest man to 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Tests

In 1980, Kapil Dev achieved the feat to become the youngest cricketer to achieve 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket. He said that reaching the 100-wicket mark was important as pitches in India seldom assisted seamers at the time. "Reaching 100 Test wickets was very important though because I was the first seam bowler to take that many wickets from India. That was special," Dev said.

5/28 against Australia in Melbourne, 1981

The five-wicket haul against Australia was his first fifer in Test cricket. Dev revealed that he ruptured his thigh muscle on the very first day of the Test match, but continued to bowl, undeterred. "I ruptured my thigh muscle on day one and I couldn’t even get to the ground for almost three days. On the fifth day they needed 143 and I was just bowling four or five overs to get some rhythm, I wasn’t ready to pick up wickets. After the fifth over Sunny Gavaskar suggested I take a break but I said, ‘No, I’m just getting my rhythm. Don’t stop me. Let me bowl.’ I was used to bowling long spells and at that point my focus shifted to wickets, not my thigh. That’s when the game changed," the legendary all-rounder said.

Registering first win against West Indies, 1983

The West Indies were arguably the strongest and the most feared sides in the 70s and 80s, and to beat the side was regarded a big feat for any side. Justifiably, Kapil Dev named the side's first win against the Windies among his eight standout moments of his career. He scored 72 in the second ODI against Guyana, while also taking two wickets to lead India to a memorable 27-run win.

Beating Pakistan in final of Benson & Hedges Cup, 1985

After lifting the World Cup in 1983, India proceeded to beat Pakistan in the final of the Benson and Hedges World Series two years later. Kapil Dev insisted that the victory was special because it silenced the critics who argued that India's win in the World Cup was a 'fluke'.

Tied Test against Australia, 1986

"I was very aggressive, hitting over cover, over mid-on, over mid-off, wherever I had the opportunity. I was more bothered with getting runs than defending my wicket," - this is how he described the famous 119*-run innings in a tied match against Australia in 1986 in Chennai. Australia scored 574/7d in the first innings, while in reply, India scored 397. Australia gave India a target of 347, and the hosts were bowled out on as many runs. Dev, however, could score only 1 run in the second innings.

The four sixes against England in Lord's, 1990

Kapil Dev scored four successive sixes in a lost Test against England in Lord's. "I said, ‘Let me take the strike.’ I did plan to attack Eddie Hemmings but I didn’t plan for four sixes. The first two balls I was always going to block and then for the third ball I said I have to jump out, because he was trying to buy the wicket by giving me more flight. I knew I could go for it."