Published: Apr 18, 2020, 12:19 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 18, 2020, 12:19 PM (IST)
It was back in 1986, but that winning six by Javed Miandad off the last ball of the Austral-Asia Cup final remains fresh in memory to all those who saw the game either at the ground or live on television.
The ambience was absolutely electrifying as the batsman readied to take strike. The crowd at Sharjah was sharply divided pro-Pakistan and pro-India right through the day but was now numbed into silence by what lay in store. Pakistan needed four runs to win the game; India needed to conceded less than three or take the final wicket to win the game. The moment was not for weak hearts.
Before facing the last ball, Miandad had a close at the field placing set by captain Kapil Dev. He watched Kapil plug all the gaps to prevent a boundary that would give Pakistan victory and then attend to his young fast bowler, Chetan Sharma. Kapil encouraged and steadied the youngster’s nerves before bowling what was the ball of his life.
The raw and excitable Chetan bowled a full toss and Miandad, pulled savagely over midwicket and into stratosphere. Miandad was ecstatic and raced to the dressing room, shouting and screaming amidst pandemonium as Pakistani supporters invaded the field. The Austral-Asia Cup had been in India’s bag for all but the final delivery.
The scoreboard would say it was a Pakistan-India game, but in reality it was Miandad vs India. He brought all his experience and guile to frustrate the Indians. The innings redefined one-day batsmanship for the thrust was not so much on big strokes, but on planning and winning with stealth, patience and a cunning a Miandad trademark. When he came to the crease, the score was 39 for 2 and by the time had got his eye in, the score was 61 for 3. At 110 for 4 with already half of the overs gone, Miandad was fighting a losing battle. Still 136 needed.
The asking run-rate had escalated from the original 4.92 to 6.28 per over. Thirty one runs were needed of the last three overs a tough ask even by today’s standards and unthinkable in those days of overs-limit cricket. How Miandad achieved the target is a part of cricket’s folklore. The 48th over yielded 13 runs and there was a mighty six off Madan Lal that brought up his hundred. The 49th over yielded 10, but Pakistan had lost Wasim Akram who was run out trying to give the strike to Miandad.
Eight runs were needed from the last over and Miandad pulled savagely which left the packed onside field static. A brilliant save by Roger Binny at short fine leg reduced what looked a certain boundary to a single.
Last man Tauseef Ahmed got detailed instructions from Miandad before facing a delivery and failed to get the much-needed single. The next was a fullish delivery to which Tauseef barely got a touch. Mohammad Azharuddin swooped on it, ran towards the bowlers end and threw the ball under arm towards the target from a couple of yards. Tauseef, who had reacted late to Miandad’s early charge, would have run out by a mile had Azhar not missed the target by a whisker.
It gave Miandad the strike and present Pakistan a big moment. What had happened then is history.
