One of the best all-rounders to have stepped on the cricket field, Kapil Dev celebrates his 61st birthday on Monday. Born on January 6, 1959, the Haryana-born cricketer was the first captain to guide India to a World Cup title. The 1983 triumph certainly changed the face to Indian cricket and Dev himself played a crucial role in helping his side clinch the title. Be it bat or the ball, the former cricketer could change the course of the match in any department and hence, guided India to many memorable victories too. 83 the Film: Ranveer Singh Aces Kapil Dev's Famed 'Natraj' Shot in a New Still (See Picture).

Unlike many of his contemporaries like Malcolm Marshall and Dennis Lillee, Kapil wasn't someone who used to set the speed gun on fire but instead depended upon his swing to pierce the defences of batsmen. Speaking of his ability with the bat, Kapil scored runs at a rapid pace and has demolished many potent bowling line-ups in his illustrious career. In fact, he was the first Indian to score an ODI century. Meanwhile, let's look at some of the best performances by the Indian great as he turns 61.

175* Against Zimbabwe in Tunbridge Wells

Regarded as one of the best ODI knocks, this mayhem by Kapil Dev was witnessed in the 1983 World Cup clash against Zimbabwe. The Indian skipper came into bat when India were tottering at 17/5. Kapil, however, didn't put his guards down and attacked the opposition bowlers. He rained fours and sixes to register the first ODI ton by an Indian. The dasher's effort guided India to ,266/8 in the first innings and eventually a 31-run victory.

5/125 & 89 Against England in Lords

The right-arm pacer showcased a brilliant display of fast bowling in the 1st Test of India's 1982 Tour of England and the hosts were packed for 423 in the first innings. However, India's batting line-up collapsed and they were forced to follow-on after being bowled out for 128. This time, Kapil showcased his blitz with the willow and made a 55-ball 89. Unfortunately, the all-rounder didn't receive much support from his teammates and India lost the clash by seven wickets.

9/83 Against West Indies in Ahmedabad

The third of West Indies' 1983 Tour of India saw another Kapil Dev special going in vain. In the third innings of the match, the paper delivered an inspired bowling spell and pierced the defences of nine Caribbean batsmen. His sensational bowling performance helped the hosts bowled West Indies out for just 201 runs. However, the Indian batsmen tumbled while chasing the total of 241 runs and lost the match by 138 runs.

5/28 Against Australia in Melbourne

The Haryana Hurricane ran through the Aussie batting line-up in the 3rd Test of India's 1980-81 Tour of Australia. In the last innings of the clash, Kapil exploited the typical Melbourne track and gave the hosts a run for their money. The paper claimed a five-wicket haul through which Australia were bundled out for mere 83 runs and India registered a famous 59-run victory.

4/90 and 7/56 Against Pakistan in Chennai

The star pacer wreaked havoc against the opposition batsmen in the 5th Test of Pakistan's 1979-1980 Tour of India. In the first innings of the match, Kapil made the impeccable use of the new red cherry and dented the arch-rivals' top order. However, he bettered his tally in the third innings of the match and took seven wickets. Pakistan were not able to recover from Kapil's carnage and eventually lost the match by 10 wickets.

The charismatic all-rounder bid adieu to international cricket on October 1994 and gave a breather to many teams around the world. Post-retirement, Kapil Dev donned the commentator's hat and gave his voice in many matches. After Kapil, India produced some potent pace-bowling all-rounders like Manoj Prabhakar and Irfan Pathan. However, no one was quite able to fill the boots of the Indian legend. Nevertheless, Hardik Pandya has shown great promise early in his career and will aim to replicate the heroics of Kapil Dev.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2020 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).