Former Indian World cup-winning captain and former head coach of the Indian Cricket Team, Ravi Shastri proved himself to be a champion in the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket in 1984\/85. The all-rounder displayed tremendous performance with the bat & ball and ended up as the third-highest run-scorer as well as wicket-taker of the series. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket was a part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of European settlement in the Australian state of Victoria. Back then, seven teams played test cricket and all of them were a part of the tournament at Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground. The tournament was historic as it witnessed the first matches played under light at the MCG. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
The seven teams were divided into two groups - India, Pakistan, Australia and England were in group A while West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka were in group B where the teams played a round-robin format. In the end, India defeated Pakistan in the finals to win the tournament. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Indians were undefeated throughout the tournament, winning all three of their group matches - Pakistan, Australia and England. India went on to defeat New Zealand in the semi-final and Pakistan in the finals. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ravi Shastri was in an impeccable form both with the bat & ball. He was the third-highest wicket-taker for the Indian team with 8 wickets to his name in 50 overs, with 5 maidens. With the bat, the all-rounder scored 182 runs in 5 matches with an average of 45.50 with three fifties to his name. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
The player was voted as the 'The Champion of Champions' and was awarded an Audi 100 sedan. Shashtri considered it as an 'unforgettable moment with a high recall value'. Shastri recalled the incident when then Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi gave a special order and Indian customs waived the heavy import duty on the car. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
In a recent car launch, Shastri narrated the story, '“I still get goosebumps when I think about the moment," Shastri said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
“I was being interviewed during the presentation ceremony when I suddenly heard a roar from the crowd and turned back to see that the entire team was sitting on my car. I stopped the interview in between and asked for the keys. I immediately took the wheel and saw that there was enough fuel for a small drive. I then took a victory lap with the entire team sitting in the car. It's a memory that will stay with me forever."<\/p>\r\n\r\n