Tony Becca

AFTER A long wait, the World Cup of cricket is just around the corner and as opening day approaches, as the fans picture in their minds some wonderful action - some great shots, some great bowling, some brilliant fielding including some magnificent catches, flashing across the mind's eye are some great deeds of the past.

Two of the favourites to win this year's World Cup are India with their marvelously balanced line-up and New Zealand with a batting line-up that seems to have no end, and one such deed was New Zealand's victory over India in 1979.

Before the start of the first World Cup, the big four were considered to be Australia, England, the West Indies and India with Pakistan a close fifth. No one even gave New Zealand a second thought.

In World Cup number one, however, New Zealand, after defeating East Africa, losing to England and then defeating India, finished second in one group to reach the semi-finals where they lost to the West Indies - the eventual champions, and in World Cup number two, they again reached the semi-finals.

On the second occasion, however, they started with victories over Sri Lanka and India before losing to the West Indies, and with victory over Sri Lanka at that time considered par for the course for them, with victory over the West Indies a difficult if not impossible proposition, New Zealand owed their place in the semi-finals to their commanding victory over India at Headingley on June 13.

Choked and destroyed

Batting first after losing the toss, India were choked and destroyed for 182 in 55.5 overs and New Zealand hopped to victory at 183 for two with eight wickets and three overs to spare.

For India, three down for 53 in the 20th over before Brijesh Patel - 38 off 66 deliveries with five boundaries, and Kapil Dev - 25 off 24 - stepped up the tempo, it was rough going throughout their innings.

Up against some tight bowling from Richard Hadlee, Gary Troup, Lance Cairns, Brian McKechnie and Jeremy Coney, India were always on the defensive, and none more so than top batsman Sunil Gavaskar.

Batting at number one, Gavaskar, known as the 'Little Master' in the West Indies, scored 55 and was seventh out at 153 after facing 144 deliveries and stroking five boundaries.

Set a target of just over three runs an over, New Zealand strolled to victory for the loss of two wickets with John Wright, 48, and Bruce Edgar, 84 not out, posting 100 runs for the first wicket.

Edgar, a delicate stroke player, batted for 167 deliveries and stroked eight boundaries and Glenn Turner, batting at number four and joining the action at 103 for two, stroked an attractive 43 not out as he and Edgar took New Zealand to victory without even working up a sweat.

After falling for such a low score, India, in a desperate bid for victory, threw the dice but even that failed.

Instead of opening the bowling, as usual, with speedsters Karsan Ghavri and Dev, they gambled and lost with the medium-pace of Mohinder Amarnath and the left-arm spin of Bishen Bedi, followed by the off-spin of Srini Venkataraghavan.

With Cairns going run out at 103 for two, Amarnath, Bedi and Venkat managed one solitary wicket between them.