“I really felt like I was the chosen one after hitting that six,” says Javed Miandad when he remembers the game Pakistan played against India in the final of the Australasia Cup on April 18, 1986. This photograph was taken soon after the game ended.
In the event’s first round, India beat New Zealand and Pakistan beat Australia to move to the semi-finals. India did away with Sri Lanka and Pakistan crushed New Zealand by bowling them out for 64 runs.
“Today if we look back, it doesn’t feel like a regular encounter. It wasn’t. For starters, batting first, India put up a massive 245 target. It was the highest score in Sharjah then and we were already under a lot of pressure. The pressure increased when Pakistan’s top order returned to the pavilion one by one. That’s when I realised the responsibility on my shoulders,” Javed Mian Dad once told newsmen.
“At that point, I didn’t think we could chase the target to win the match but what I aimed for was not to lose too badly. I wanted to stay at the wicket till the end.”
“Today everyone gives the example of that six when seeing some team in trouble in the last overs. It can happen like Miandad made it happen, they say. The Indians have never been able to forget the incident and have even re-enacted parts of it in movies.”
“But I really feel for poor Chetan Sharma, whose career was as good as over after that. It shouldn’t happen that way.”
In the event’s first round, India beat New Zealand and Pakistan beat Australia to move to the semi-finals. India did away with Sri Lanka and Pakistan crushed New Zealand by bowling them out for 64 runs.
“Today if we look back, it doesn’t feel like a regular encounter. It wasn’t. For starters, batting first, India put up a massive 245 target. It was the highest score in Sharjah then and we were already under a lot of pressure. The pressure increased when Pakistan’s top order returned to the pavilion one by one. That’s when I realised the responsibility on my shoulders,” Javed Mian Dad once told newsmen.
“At that point, I didn’t think we could chase the target to win the match but what I aimed for was not to lose too badly. I wanted to stay at the wicket till the end.”
“Today everyone gives the example of that six when seeing some team in trouble in the last overs. It can happen like Miandad made it happen, they say. The Indians have never been able to forget the incident and have even re-enacted parts of it in movies.”
“But I really feel for poor Chetan Sharma, whose career was as good as over after that. It shouldn’t happen that way.”