The final of the 1986 Austral-Asian Cup is one of the most remarkable matches in Pakistan cricket history that ushered in a revolution in Pakistan’s cricket and continues to remain in the thoughts of cricket fans to date.
It was the legendary batter, Javed Miandad, who accomplished the unimaginable by striking a six against Chetan Sharma on the last ball of the game when four runs were needed, breaking millions of hearts across the globe.
Recently, former Indian captain, Kapil Dev, in a conversation with Pakistan bowling great, Wasim Akram, revealed that the thrilling finished match had a catastrophic effect on India over the following four years.
Answering a question regarding the last over bowled by Sharma, Kapil said, “We thought we should have 12-13 runs to defend in the last over of the match. It was a very difficult task, almost impossible in those times.”
While revealing their strategy prior to the last delivery, the former all-rounder defended the bowler, claiming it was not his mistake because they wanted the last ball to be low-yorker but it turned out to be a low full-toss.
Kapil continued by saying that when they are reminded of that day, they find it difficult to fall asleep. “That defeat crushed the whole side’s confidence for the next four years. It was very difficult to make a comeback from there,” he added.