Dom:We do not find many players with engineering degrees playing cricket, how did you manage studying & playing, What message do you give for the youngsters of India

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: I come from a family where the priority was studies. Cricket was only a hobby, but later became a profession. Now cricket is itself a career. My only advise is to believe in yourselves. Believe in the 3 D's: Determination, dedication and discipline. They will take you a long way. Thanks everyone for participating in the chat. Sharing my memories of the 1983 World Cup with everyone has been great. We would love to have you back for another topic and probably a longer time, and share our thoughts on our favourite game, cricket. Bye for now. Please do visit Krishcricket for your daily dose of cricket gaming.

Shiju:Who do you think has been the best captain after 1983..Azhar, sachin, Ganguly, Dhoni to name a few.. and Why?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Apart from Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, it has to be a toss-up between Ganguly and Dhoni. A captain can only be as good as a team. Dhoni is still too immature, and we will have to wait for sometime to get the real picture. Other than that, Ganguly.

sakshi:Hi Chikka,
What was the mood in the dressing room when we were 17/5? Where you planning any strategy to turn the match to our side or was it just to go by the situation and try and score as many runs as possible end with the decent defend?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: At 17-5, we all thought we would be all out for 80 or 90. We felt bad that we could not do well then. But Kapil had other plans. YOu would have expected him to settle down and get the runs, but he blasted them all over the park.

cricfan:How difficult was it to beat an unbeatable side in the finals?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: They were literally unbeatable then. Just look at their batting line-up and the four fast bowlers, I won't like to remember them in my life, Marshall, Garner, Roberts and Holding will scare you even today.

Rajesh:Sir
Who is your favorite batsman?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: My favourite batsmen were two people playing the final. One was on the other side, Viv Richards, while the other was sitting in the balcony along with us, Gundappa Viswanath.

Param:Hi Srikkanth, Has the international fast bowling quality gone down from Your playing days?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: When I say this, my son says all you old people keep cribbing. But it's a fact.

Adithya:Any intentions of taking up a coaching job / role ?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: I would have loved to have taken up the challenge. But the BCCI may not like it. I am too forthright as a person.

Adithya:Did you feel out of place in the indian team because of the language barrier...be it sharing jokes or enjoying in the celebrations. ?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Not at all. Being a fun loving character myself. That time my hindi and Kapil's english were of the same level! So we used to enjoy ourselves a lot!

vivek ravindran:Can you let us know any of the Luck factor that worked for you in the Final?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Definitely. Luck worked for us, in the sense that everything went right for us when we bowled. There were no misfields, no dropped catches. SO there was luck in a wholesome sense.

subbu:hi ,
The world cup winning squad (1983) didnot have any superstar/icon .Still we have won the match against mighty Westindies. What was the secret of success. But the star studded team which included sachin, ganguly, dravid, kumble did not manage to win one. what could be the reason

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: You can't say we didn't have stars. We had Sunny, Kapil, Vengsarkar, and the likes. Probably the expectations were less then. Now there is much more pressure, their star status is higher today.

Adithya:Tell us one scene / scenario after the final match a lords that you cannot forget - after winning the worldcup -

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: After we won the World Cup, I cannot forget smoking at the balcony at Lord's. And of course the bhangra continued till the late hours in the hotel.

Adithya:don't you think its a shame that we are still celebrating the win (25years ago) rather than to win some more in the years that passed....are we just one-off wonders...

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: YOu are right. We also wonder about it. As an Indian, I would have taken a few more titles. But in a country like ours, where winning is rare, this has to be cherished.

fs:hika ..
how much do you attribute the 83 world cup win to the current status of cricket in india . Would Indian cricket been the same with and without the win.. Just like 2003 world c

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: It's a tough one this. 83 changed the face of Indian cricket. We were never known as a ODI team. Add to it the 85 win, we became known all over. Other international sides started looking up to us, rather than looking down on us.

Manish:Hi srikanth , What do you think how indian cricket under Dhoni's captainicy is going ?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Dhoni is a very cool captain, he doesn't perturbed, He gets the best out of his players. He is still young, but he will mature. As of now, he is doing a terrific job.

Michael:How do you feel when you look back at the 1983 final as the highest scorer in that match?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: About the WC final, when I tell stories to my grandchildren, I would tell them that I was a highest scorer in the final of a WC! It would have been even better if I had some 70 runs or a century!

gopi:Hai Krish - I would like to see you boss playing 20-20 match with Sunil, Jimmy, Madan Lal etc. Will my dream come true?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: I don't know boss. I am 48. Gavaskar is 58 and so is Amarnath. We could get severely hit on our faces. BUt I was very tempted to play this format when it first came about.

Rajesh Lalwani:Hello Krishi,
How are you doing.. a fine day to you...

Q1 Do you miss being action for cricket in twenty twenty (T20) format...
I personally feel your batting aggressiveness, in those days as opener is so apt for this kind of format.

Q2. Is T20 only a youngster games!
I think it’s just a daring game...
Compared to conventional format, this requires less running the between the wickets, less time on ground, You only need to be full of power to hit ball, bowl good length and lots of presence of mind... not much of stamina to hold on

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: T20, I would have been ideal for this format, but it also adds tremendous pressure. As for the second part of the question, all you need is a very strong mind. You don't need to be a youngster. I thought it will be for young men, but the likes of Hayden, Warne, McGrath have changed my mind.

sachin:hello sir,
dont you think that young dhoni's team can win the world cup 2011 given some experience and some responsibilty for younger lot?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Nobody knows the future. Nobody knew we would win the WC. For 2011, we have to find a genuine all-rounder, then we can surely do it.

Kiran:Dont you think Indian Team needs an Indian as a Coach? What addition will a Foriegn coach give the team?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: I have been very vociferous about it. An Indian coach has to be Indian. The coach has to be Indian inherently to know the language, he should know the domestic cricket carefully. What would a foreigner know when he is sitting in London or Sydney ? I have always been for an Indian coach.

Raj:Do you think if india has the same team they can win the world cup now?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: As I said, today's Indian team just lacks a good all-rounder. If you look at the team that went to Bangladesh , you add Sachin to it, and a genuine all-rounder, we will be able to win the World Cup. A no. 7 and 8 have to be better batsmen than Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, Maybe another quality all-rounder. He should fit into the team as either a batsman or a bowler. LIke Flintoff or Chris Cairns .

seshadri:What made you to go for big shots when india lost quick wickets.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: This was my natural game. I wasn't very technically adept, so the only way I could survive out there was going for the big shots.

Dheeraj:Hi Chikka, Just wanted to know your thoughts on the way BCCI is treating some of your team mates who are with ICL?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Again, you can't help it. They have worked hard for so many years to reach wherever they have. So they would not like the competition. In an honest perspective, they are both right in their ways.

Ritesh:How does it feel to see so many of your '83 World Cup winning team members with the ICL?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: It's a question of survival for some people. They have a profession with them. Cricket in 1983 wasn't well paid. Not many in our time made money as well, so it provides for security too.

satish:what was the turning point of the match

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: The turning point of the final was Richards' catch. Let me put it as two turning points, the second being Jeff Dujon's wicket. When his partnership with Marshall was broken, we were safe.

Samrat:How do you feel the cricket has changed from that day to todays 20-20 matches. Has it become better or worse??

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Cricket has definitely evolved. More than bowling, bowling and fielding have became so much better. Even putting up 270-odd runs are not enough these days. As for bowling, I think most of the bowlers of that era were a lot better than now.

jddd:Mr Srikkanth,

Is it true that some of the players' wives left the stadium when Viv Richards began attacking the Indian bowlers, and were not allowed back in when India began winning?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: That's true. It was Gavaskar's wife, Madan Lal's wife and Amarnath's wife who left the ground. But my wife and Sunny's wife stayed on. But the other were not allowed back inthe ground. So my wife was lucky in that way.

Pratek:Hey Krish who do u think was the best all rounder of your time imran kkhan, botham or Kapil dev

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: In my opinion Kapil. He was the only guy who could smash fast bowling at will. Imran became a good batsman later on, and his fielding wasn't as good. Botham's record was good outside of England was not that good, while Kapil scored against fast bowlers everywhere.

RAJESH CHINDARKAR:HOW WAS THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE DRESSING ROOM IN 1983? WHERE THERE ANY JUNIOR SENIOR ROW?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: In 1983, we were all one. I was one of the junior most I think. Nothing succeeds like success. It was very crucial. In England you generally travel by coaches, in which case our bonding becomes better. It did in our case.

s.v.rajan:Considering West Indies thrashed India 5-0 in India in ODI series immediately after the 1983 World Cup, don't you think that Windies lost the finals due to over confidence, if not sheer arrogance?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: You can also log on to Krishcricket for online games. Thats' right. The way they beat us in the One-day series. So I think they were overconfidence as well as some good bowling. When you are defending a small total, things need to go right for you, which did.

DON:Hi Chikka, What was the game plan and preparation for the Final. Even Indian team ( I mean playing 11) expected to be a one sided final as everybody expected, or you guys wanted to prove it wrong from the begining of the game?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: None of us really expected to qualify. We thought it's fine, we will just enjoy ourselves as we didn't have presure on us. But we wanted to put our best foot forward. We just had a problem of batting first and make sure we gave ourselves the best chance to last in the game!

Raghav:What was going through your mind when Viv Richards hit that shot?? ( The one that was caught by Kapil)

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Before that, I was standing at point and Binny was at covers. We also had tea sessions during then and we said the match was going to be over by tea. When he hit it, we thought it will just fall in no man's land. BUt we saw Kapil charging from nowhere and took that blinder. Only he or Vivian himself could have taken that catch.

sampathkumar:i belive that 83 worldcup is best in indians victory than T20 victory. for simple reason we beat the mighty WI who rule the wolrd cricket for one decade. may be that set the tone for our other cups. what is your comment. give your honest opinion. "i dont want your answer like this team also done well"

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: The WC win 1983 was standout because the kind of the opposition we played and the kind of quality we had. IN the previous WCs, we just won one game. So the 83 win is more cherished than the T20. But you have to give credit to the T20 team as well to lift the first WC of its kind.

Satyajit Nayak:Hi Krish, Many congratulations on the silver jublee of our worldcup Victory..I think you are the first player in world cricket who started hitting over the top in the first 15 overs..Do you agree ?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Thanks a lot that you think like that. But probably that credit should go to Gordon Greenidge who inspired me to take that approach.

mike:who is better hitter hard yourself or afridi?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Afridi is a bigger hitter, surely. But the modern cricketer I admire is Virender Sehwag.

Ashok Soni:Hi Mr Srikanth

How does it feel to be a part of the team that won world cup cricket of India ?? And which moment that you would like to cherish which helped India lift the trophy (Kapil dev's 175 not out or any other moment that we are not aware of).

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Even after 25 years, everyone remembers we became World Champions. that will never change, Kapil's 175 not out was unforgettable. But beating West Indies in the first match alsi ranks as high as his innings.

Garugems:Srikanth: Can you please tell me one thing that you really admired of Kapil while playing under Kapil Dev?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: The greatest quality about Kapil is he could win matches on his own. He led by instinct, and was aggressive. He was a fighter., He had the guts to score 175 not out after India were 17-5, which means he could inspire people.

Ramesh ravindran:Hi, This is Ramesh from Dallas , Texas , US .
What went thro the team after you had just scored 183 against the mighty West Indies in the dressing room before you went out to bowl. Did you guys say to yourself "We are happy we came this far"..?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: That's right. Kapil said at least we came to the final. But we just said lets just put up a fight. We never went in thinking we will win or something.

Ramesh ravindran:Do you still consider your 1983 world cup winning team as the best indian ODI team that has played.? And why?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: I would not like to rate them the best. But one of the best team was the 1985 World Championship team was very strong. But to rate it as the best team, would be debatable.

Karthikeyan Santhanam:Sir.. What did the 83 team have that current team is not having to win a world cup. Do you think guidance or coaching from 83 team would enable to win this coveted title again?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Obviously, the number of all-rounders are missing now. Even a guy as good as 25% of Kapil would make a huge difference. One-day cricket is all about all-round cricket. As for coaching, they know what they want to do, they are doing just fine.

vijaysrivatsan: is austalia more of an intimidation than a hard team to defeat

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Today, the one good thing about Australia is they are very organised. They have extraordinary batsmen in the top of the order. They have decent all-rounders like Symonds, and their never-say-die attitude gets them a long way. Even if they are 0-1 or 100-1, their attitude never changes.

Shoaibe:Since 1983, India has not yet been able to win the world cup inspite of many chances!! where r they lagging And r they able get rid of the 'FINALS' phobia??

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: The truth is, when we reached the semis in 1987, we lost although we should have won it. The problem since then was that we never had a good all-rounder since Kapil. We had a lot of half-all-rounders as well. If INdia had a good all-rounder at this stage, it could be different.

Aman:How was Kapil paaji as a captain? Did the players like him?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Kapil as a captain was very positive, a strong believer in everyone's abilities. He was probably the only one who thought we could beat the West Indies . So he was aggressive and positive, and led by example.

raghu chadalavada:Krish,

What is the turning point of the tournament for India

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: The turning point was the first match was against the West Indies , which we won. That gave us the confidence that we could beat anyone on the day.

Chalapathi:Chikka,
What were you thinking before going into bat?What was on your mind? DO you have a specific plan or specific Target?

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: Honestly, yes, in the morning, we were all overawed. I was playing my first match at Lord's and that too a WC final. I was slightly nervous. When Jimmy Amarnath tolod me to play positive and that's when In started playing my shots.

krishna anand:did india won because west indies were over confident or we played better cricket

regards
R.KRISHNA ANAND

Krishnamachari Srikkanth: The final, I wouldn't like to use the word overconfident, maybe Viv Richards was. So it was a combination of good play by India and some overconfidence by the West Indies , and a little bit of luck.