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As the World Cup count-down nears with barely a week left for its commencement, the debate about every team's prospects heats up. This guessing game revolves mainly around one question: Whether bowlers or batsmen play a decisive role in the ultimate outcome? For an answer to this teasing and tricky poser let us look back briefly into the history of previous three World Cups - 1975-79-83 to start with.

1975 World Cup

The inaugural World Cup tournament was held within five years of the birth of limited-overs Internationals, the very first of which had been a hastily arranged affair played on the final day (January 5, 1971) of a rain-aborted Melbourne Test match to appease the disappointed local crowd. This initial competition was a very modest affair, consisting of just 15 matches on only five playing days. The 1975 World Cup lives on in the memory because of two remarkable performances Clive Lloyds and Gary Gilmour's. The only drama of the preliminary round had seen the West Indies defeat Pakistan at Edgbaston by one wicket, with two balls to spare, thanks to a 64-run partnership between tail-enders Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts. Among other outstanding individual performances were - England's Denis Amiss with 137 against India, New Zealander Glenn Turner with 171 not out against East Africa and 114 not out against India, Dennis Lillee's five for 34 against Pakistan and Indian spinner Bishen Bedi's 12 overs for one wicket and six runs against East Africa. England saw their top order broken by the left-armer Gilmour as they were dismissed for 93 in 36.2 of their 60 overs. His figures during a classic performance-six for 14 off 12 overs, included six maidens. Then featuring in a match-winning partnership of 55 with Doug Walters after Australia had slumped to 39 for 6, the West Indies crushed New Zealand by almost 20 overs after bowling out the Kiwis for 158 in the other semi. In the final, the West Indies, recovered from 50 for three as Clive Lloyd scored 102, including two huge sixes and 12 4s to take his side to 291-8. Five Australians were run out as they were dismissed for 274.

1979 World Cup

Once again West Indies, the favourites won the Prudential Cup but against finalist. Australia as England had refused to select a string of top-class players. Clive Lloyd had the honour of leading, with stroke players like Greenidge, Haynes, Richards and Kallicharan, all-rounders like Collis King, wicketkeeper Deryck Murray - and all backed up by a pace attack of Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Colin Croft. In the first semi-final, England were bowled out for 213 and beaten by five overs to spare by India. In the first semi-final, England edged past New Zealand by nine runs, scoring 221 for eight and the Kiwis reaching 212 for nine. In the second, the West Indies scored 293 for six to beat Pakistan by 43 runs, Zaheer Abbas making 93 for the losers. England went into the final without the injured Willis. Viv Richards responded with an undefeated 138 out of a total of 286 for nine. Boycott and Brearley put on a 129 runs opening stand but England then collapsed to 194 all out.

1983 World Cup

India Caused one of the major sporting upsets of the century when they beat the holders and firm favourites, West Indies, by the emphatic margin of 43 runs in a low-scoring final. This was no cricketing fluke. A fortnight earlier they had beaten Clive Lloyd's team by 34 runs with their World Cup record total of 262. The third World Cup, began with another giant-killer feat when Zimbabwe beat Australia in the opening round. For the first time, all eight teams won a match.

In the first semi-final England were bowled out for 213 and beaten by five overs to spare by India. The West Indies beat Pakistan by eight wickets with almost 12 overs to go after bowling them out for 184. In the final at Lord's, India were bowled out for 183 in 54.4 overs then reduced the West Indies to 76-6 before Man-of-the-Match Mohinder Amarnath stopped a fightback. He took three for 12 off seven overs as the West Indies were dismissed for 140. India had been 66-1 outsiders at the start.