Jeff Dujon ... said swing got the better of West Indies in the 1983 World Cup final.

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

CRICKET, IT is often said, is a game of glorious uncertainties. Caribbean fans found that out on June 25 1983 when India upset the West Indies by 43 runs to win the third World Cup at Lord's.

India scored a modest 183 from their 54.4 overs, then defied the odds by routing the champions for 140.

It was an amazing feat, considering the Windies' batting talent: Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Vivian Richards, captain Clive Lloyd, Larry Gomes, Faoud Bacchus and Jeffrey Dujon.

After racing to 50 for the loss of one wicket with Richards in ominous touch, the West Indies were on course for their third straight title.

But seamers Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal stepped in to spoil the party. Both captured three wickets, wrecking the West Indies middle and lower order.

No walkover

Jeffrey Dujon, the West Indies' wicketkeeper/batsman, sai the Caribbean side had a small total to chase he knew it was no walkover.

"The ball had swung appreciably which you don't expect for Lord's, and I remember going in I said to Andy Roberts, 'we could struggle to get these' and he agreed," Dujon recalled.

What made the final even more interesting was that both teams beat the other in the preliminary round: the West Indies crushed India by 66 runs at The Oval while India were winners by 34 runs at Old Trafford.

The West Indies had easy preliminary round wins over Australia and newcomers Zimbabwe. In the semi-finals, Pakistan were also brushed aside.

India got by Australia, Zimbabwe and England on their way to the final.

In the final, Lloyd won the toss and fielded first. His decision paid off, as the four-pronged pace attack of Robets, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall, backed by the spin of Gomes, restricted the Indian strokeplayers.

Topscored

With only two runs on the board, Sunil Gavaskar was caught behind by Dujon for two. Opener Kris Srikkanth topscored with a typically flashy 38 which included seven fours and a six, before he was trapped leg before wicket by Marshall.

Amarnath (26), Sandip Patil (27) and Madan Lal (17) each got starts but failed to go on to substantial scores. Roberts finished with three wickets for 32 runs from 11 overs.

There were two wickets each for Holding, Marshall and Gomes.

The West Indies got off to a similar start, losing Greenidge to Balwinder Singh Sandu for one with the score on five.

Richards thrilled Lord's with a stroke-filled 33 from only 28 deliveries which contained seven majestic boundaries. But once he was brilliantly caught by Kapil Dev off Madan Lal to make it 59 for two, the innings folded.

Apart from Richards, only Haynes (13), Dujon (25) and Marshall (18) reached double figures.

Amarnath, who scored heavily in India's 0-2 Test series loss to the West Indies earlier in the year, was named man-of-the-match for his return of three for 12 from seven overs.

Cricket fans throughout the Caribbean were shocked at the result. Some even felt the West Indies had thrown the match.

"I heard that, but I think that came from us playing India and a lot of gambling takes place on the sub-continent," said Jeffrey Dujon. "We always focused on playing with a lot of pride so we just dismissed that."