OTD: Birthday of Balwinder Singh Sandhu who won 1983 World Cup

Balwinder Singh Sandhu, born on August 3, 1956, is one of the forgotten legends of Indian cricket andan integral part of the 1983 World Cup triumph.

The promising all-rounder became one of the most useful cricketers for Team India after making his debut. But surprisingly, Sandhi's international career did not prolong as it was expected. In less than a 2-year international career, the Mumbai-born experienced a thrilling ride.

During the initial part of his career, Balwinder was mostly known for his bowling skills and abilitybat. But for India, in the first few matches, his batting skills came under the spotlight more than his bowling part. But that was not permanent. At present, when someone talks about the legend, he is remembered for his medium-pace bowling, which helped India to win the World Cup in 1983.

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International career suddenly came to an end

In the World Cup, against the mighty West Indies, the medium-pace bowling all-rounder got a much-needed breakthrough for India. The wicket of Gordon Greenidge is considered as one of the major moments of the rivalry. The way Sandhu tricked Greenidge is still considered study material for cricket enthusiasts. He provided the much-needed breakthrough the Indians needed in the final.

Balwinder Singh Sandhu made his international debut against the archrival Pakistan. Like his career, the match versus Pakistan was also full of events. Besides taking two quick wickets, Sandhu went to bat at number 9 and top-scored with 71. His best Test bowling figure came against the West Indies, 3 for 87. Sandhu's career was suddenly cut short just after the historic 1983 World Cup campaign. In 1983-84, he played in only one Test against the West Indies without any notable success; from then, his career graph gradually decreased.