Was the 1983 World Cup the first big sporting achievement for India?

This was an unthinkable feat for Indian cricket at that point in time. Cricket was popular in the country, but certainly not to the extent it is today. In fact, they entered the tournament as easy pushovers for teams from across the world. But what unfolded in England in the span of a fortnight left the entire sporting fraternity in awe.

India was not expected to win even a single match, let alone return home with the trophy. Having entered the tournament with just one win in the first two editions of the World Cup, India began their campaign with a thumping 34 run victory over the winners of the first two editions, West Indies.

The Indians then went on to register three more wins in the group stage – two over Zimbabwe and one over Australia, while losing two – one each against Australia and West Indies to enter the final four of the World Cup.

What followed was some world-class cricket against England to win the semifinal by a comfortable six-wicket margin and book their berth in the World Cup final for the first time in history.

Up against them in the final were the mighty West Indies. Both the team had beaten each other once in the group stage, but the West Indians were on a roll. They had not lost a single match since their first match of the tournament against India. They were the defending champions and the rulers of world cricket. It was expected to be a cakewalk for them.

The Indians, on the other hand, had nothing to lose. They did not have the experience of a high-pressure match and were scratchy throughout the tournament. No one expected them to win, and they were quite clearly the underdogs.

The prediction of expert and fans seemed to be on point at the halfway stage. India fell to 183 all-out in the first innings. The score was not much, and the stage was set for the West Indian batsmen.

But, the Indians were not going to give up without a fight. They were wounded but had the fire to hang on. The bowlers found ways to keep picking wickets while the fielders clung on to anything and everything that went their way. The end result? A 43 run win for India and the tag of World Champions.

This was indeed a special moment in Indian sports. But was it really the country's first big sporting achievement?

While many may agree that this was indeed India's first big sporting achievement, it is really hard to ignore the Indian hockey team, which dominated the world since the 1920s.

Yes, one can argue with the fact that the World Cup win ended the domination of West Indies in the showpiece event and kind of kicked in a new cricket revolution in India. But, eleven Olympic medals, including eight gold, is not a feat that anyone can easily match.

Besides, by the time India won the cricket World Cup for the first time, the hockey team had gold, silver and bronze each in the hockey World Cup. Add to this six Asian Games silver and a gold medal, one would get a clear picture of how dominating the Indian hockey team was on those days.

Moreover, Indian hockey was on a decline after years of dominance when the cricketers brought home the World Cup. The sports fans in the country needed new stars to boast off and up stepped Kapil Dev & Co.

While no one can ever deny the fact that the 1983 World Cup win will always be one of the biggest highlights of Indian sporting history, the dominance of the Indian hockey team with its numerous medals was perhaps some of the earliest big achievements of Indian sports.