Those who grew up in the ’90s would know the significance of Sharjah, a UAE emirate, to cricket. The venue has provided enough thrills and chills to cricket fans of India and Pakistan. Of course, the memorable moments are not restricted to these two teams alone as other encounters at Sharjah stadium has also produced some humdingers. Therefore, as the venue gears up to host some crucial encounters during the Asia Cup this year let’s rewind to the times when spectators at Sharjah ground were treated to some lip-smacking dishes by players from the Asian subcontinent.
The Pak Meltdown
This was much before Pakistan started to dominate their Arch-rivals India in international cricket, especially in Sharjah. In the 1985 Rothmans Cup, the script of the opening match panned in an unpredictable manner to stun every sports lover that day. Batting first India could not survive the onslaught of fiery Pak bowlers, especially Imran Khan (6-14), and were bundled out for a paltry 125. If you thought only one way the game is going from here on then just wait. As Pak batters entered the field to overhaul the modest total they were all done in by the wily Indian bowling unit comprising Kapil Dev (3/17) and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (2/16) to perish for a meagre 87. In the end, India won the match by 38 runs.
When Miandad Pulled Off A Coup
This is a blow that India found it very hard to recover from and even now the memories of the contest haunt the Indian psyche. Though, unlike the Rothmans Cup encounter, the Indian batters put up a decent score of 245. In reply, Pakistan had the worst start possible as their batsmen started a procession to the pavilion in no time. However, one of their batters Javed Miandad stood tall amid the ruins and turned the outcome of the match dramatically. With 5 needed to win off the last ball and with all the fielders manning the boundary line the only way, Pakistan could win the match was through a hit over the fence. And that’s exactly what happened as Miandad despatched a low full toss from Chetan Sharma toward the audience gallery for Pakistan to snatch victory from the jaws of the defeat.
A Sachin-Show All The Way
In 1998, Sachin Tendulkar’s power-packed performance in the knockout game against Australia was dubbed “desert storm” by the cricketer-turned-commentator Tony Greig. Back then, India had the option of entering the final even if they lose the match but only if they maintained a good net run rate in the end. So, when Australia put up a strong total of 284 in their allotted overs everyone knew India had a mountain to climb against the strong bowling attack of Damien Fleming, Michael Kasprowicz and Shane Warne. However, Tendulkar with a scintillating 143 off 131 balls ensured that India entered the final by pipping New Zealand on a better net run rate. Even though India lost the match by 26 runs, the “God of Cricket” shredded the Australian bowling attack to pieces to take his team’s boat to the safe shore.
Akram’s Versatility Sinks The Oz
In the 1990 Austral-Asia Cup, Pakistan and Australia clashed with each other in the final for the coveted trophy. Both the teams were evenly matched but Pakistan’s knack for getting the better of the opposition on the desert soil gave the Asian country a slight edge in the finale. This time when Pak posted 266 for 7 in 50 overs Australia knew they had a very tough assignment on their hands. But the Kangaroos started very well in the chase and were on course to overhaul the target but a couple of crucial run-outs, David Boon and Mark Taylor, and the brilliance of Mushtaq Ahmed (3/48) brought Pakistan back into the match. Then, Wasim Akram’s hat-trick put the final nail in the coffin of Australia to help Pakistan win the final by 36 runs eventually. Merv Hughes, Carl Rackemann and Terry Alderman were the Aussie batters to perish in quick succession to the incisive yorkers of Akram.
