Virendra Nath (circled in red) watches Kapil Dev lift the World Cup at Lord’s on June 25, 1983. (Below) Nath at Bengal Club on Friday with his framed copy of the 1983 photograph. Picture by Anindya Shankar Ray

I live hardly five minutes away from Lord’s and make it to the ground every time India plays. I would not have missed the 1983 World Cup final for anything.

My friend Roy Kamath and I watched the match with Tiger Pataudi, whom as members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) we knew well.

After India was bowled out for 183, we thought we had had it. Viv Richards was swaggering around as he usually did, confident and cocky. The batsmen were creaming us.

Tiger and I went to a bar for a drink. We thought we didn’t stand a chance after putting up such a low score. We were having Bacardi and ginger ale when Kapil Dev took that great catch to dismiss Richards.

Tiger said to me: “I think we better watch this match seriously.” We did from that point and India won.

Frankly, it was a fluke. The Indian team was made of bits-and-pieces players while the West Indies had so many stars. But one-day cricket is like that. Anyone can win on a given day and that is why I prefer Test cricket.

I remember the weather condition had changed in the middle of the final. Suddenly, the ball started moving around. We had Balwinder Sandhu, Roger Binny, Madan Lal in the team and they were all able to get assistance from the weather. It just started swirling around a bit.

Clive Lloyd was probably hampered by a hamstring injury, I think. Before anyone could properly understand what was happening, the West Indies had collapsed.

The crowd had gone wild, ecstatic at India’s victory. We couldn’t believe it actually. It was Kapil’s tournament. He deserved more credit than anyone else. Had he not scored 175 at Tunbridge Wells when India were 17/5 against Zimbabwe, the team would not have made it to the final.

I was behind Kapil when he lifted the trophy on the Lord’s balcony. Not many Indians were members of the MCC then. It was my privilege that I could be where I was.

The night after the victory, I took Kapil and his cousin to dinner to Angelos, a Greek restaurant in London, where we celebrated.

Unlike 1983, India starts Saturday’s match as favourites. But Sri Lanka has had an extra day’s rest and that makes a lot of difference.