Miandad's last ball six still haunts me: Chetan Sharma

[Sir john]

Exactly 25 years have passed on Monday since Javed Miandad smashed Chetan Sharma for a last-ball six to steer Pakistan to victory in the Asia Cup final in Sharjah but the ghosts of that day still continues to haunt the former Indian pacer. Sharma, on the silver jubilee of that day, said he had faced tough times after the Sharjah match and credited his coach Deshprem Azad for lifting him from depression. "I try to forget that six but people do not let me. People do not forget things -- either good or bad -- that happens during India-Pakistan clashes," Sharma said. "People won't remember the hat-trick against New Zealand in 1987 World Cup or the good performance against England but that Miandad six is one thing they will never forget," he said. After being set a 246-run target by India, Pakistan needed four runs off the final ball to win the match and Miandad scripted a historic victory by smashing Sharma for a six. "I tried to bowl a yorker but that turned out as a low full-toss. But people should also remember that i was just an 18-year-old boy then and was facing a batsman of the stature of Miandad," Sharma recollected. Miandad in his auto-biography 'Cutting Edge: My Autobiography' has also mentioned that six. He wrote,"I knew that he would try to bowl a yorker so I decided to stand just ahead of crease.....poor Chetan Sharma." Sharma said," Kapil had trust on me. No one in the team said anything to me but I myself was upset. That was a very bad phase for me but I overcome that period with the help of my coach Deshprem Azad and friends." "My friend Vinaydutt Sharma received me at the Delhi Airport and he did not let anyone meet me. Even in Chandigarh no one discussed that six with me. Azad sir helped me a lot," he added. link jogi was lucky in T20 world cup, all hail to jogi :hatsoff:

[Ultimate_Game]

Sure it does... just like Misbah will always be haunted by that shot in T20 final, or Shoaib will always have nightmares about his opening over against Tendulkar in 2003 world cup game, or Waqar never forgetting about Jadeja's assault in 96 Q/F defeat to india, or Saqlain always having memories of the 4 hit by Kanetkar while chasing 314, or Saqlain thinking of Chauhan hitting him for a 6 to win the game. For players, be it from any country, memories of good and bad will always remain imprinted in the mind. I am sure Gul won't forget Sehwag in a hurry as well :winky:

[vvvslaxman]

I saw that match live. It didn't haunt me as a fan. My worst memory against Pakistan is always the chennai test where we were few hits away from win and bungled up big time. That 6 match was over-rated way too much. India has given much more serious death blows to Pakistan.

[Cricket Tragic]

I saw that match live. It didn't haunt me as a fan. My worst memory against Pakistan is always the chennai test where we were few hits away from win and bungled up big time. That 6 match was over-rated way too much. India has given much more serious death blows to Pakistan.

Completely agree with this.

[DomainK]

Why I am not surprised that it's TOI?

[vvvslaxman]

Even the 1987 bangalore test was more heart-breaking. I remember we were cursing Kapil no end for getting bowled just at the stroke of lunch. It was a horrible pitch to bat on though. Pitch deteriorated so much that it became unplayable. Gavaskar put up a masterclass performance on that crumbling pitch.

[Lurker]

I saw that match live. It didn't haunt me as a fan. My worst memory against Pakistan is always the chennai test where we were few hits away from win and bungled up big time. That 6 match was over-rated way too much. India has given much more serious death blows to Pakistan.

Really? I was shattered. Till that time India had upper hand over Pakistan in most of the games that had been played in shorter format, specially at Sharjah. If I remember correctly we did not lose a game against them there, including when we were dismissed for a paltry 125. Kapil had supposedly sarcastically told Miandad that Pakistan need not turn up because they would lose anyway, and that spurred Miandad on. The match should have been won by India. It was very similar to the game that was played in Calcutta years later and Salim Malik won it for Pakistan. In both games Pakistan's asking rate was high (by standards back then) and they were slowly inching towards it while Indian team let go. The last ball needed 4 to win, any less and India wold have won. Sharma was bowling good so I was pretty relaxed till Miandad unleashed the six Feel bad for the guy though, he was fairly decent and acheived a lot with limited abilities. Very gutsy performer. xxx

[Ultimate_Game]

I saw that match live. It didn't haunt me as a fan. My worst memory against Pakistan is always the chennai test where we were few hits away from win and bungled up big time. That 6 match was over-rated way too much. India has given much more serious death blows to Pakistan.

Agree fully with you... the worst defeats I have experienced as a fan are - 1. Ind losing to Pak in the Chennai test after Sachin nearly won us the game, 2. India failing to chase 120 odd against WI in WI resulting in a lost series. Other defeats I found tough to digest... 3. WC final in 2003 - it wasn't as bad as the first two since the match was never close but WC final did hurt. 4. Bucknor's Sydney Test - I was more angered and upset than downbeat and hurt. And we haven't lost to Aussies in any major game since then

[desi pride 1234]

i was not even born and as for as india -pak matches are concerenced, the misbah's scoop shot in the t 20 final is the best.

[vvvslaxman]

Really? I was shattered. Till that time India had upper hand over Pakistan in most of the games that had been played in shorter format, specially at Sharjah. If I remember correctly we did not lose a game against them there, including when we were dismissed for a paltry 125. Kapil had supposedly sarcastically told Miandad that Pakistan need not turn up because they would lose anyway, and that spurred Miandad on. The match should have been won by India. It was very similar to the game that was played in Calcutta years later and Salim Malik won it for Pakistan. In both games Pakistan's asking rate was high (by standards back then) and they were slowly inching towards it while Indian team let go. The last ball needed 4 to win, any less and India wold have won. Sharma was bowling good so I was pretty relaxed till Miandad unleashed the six Feel bad for the guy though, he was fairly decent and acheived a lot with limited abilities. Very gutsy performer. xxx

Yes should have been won by India. It was more dramatic than it deserved to be because the six came off last ball. A ball earlier or over earlier would not have been that bad. Also.. not just against Pakistan.. losing any match against any team coming that close would shatter me. I still remember how Balaji was smoted for 6 by Brett lee when India almost won an ODI in Australia. But saying that it would leave scar for your life is an overstatement in my view. That match was anything but something that will be haunting you for the rest of your life. Some come up with weird theory that India carried that scar for 10 years or so. How anyone could carry the scar for 10 years if you are not even part of it. India beat Pakistan in 1992 world cup, 1996 world cup. They were still going about that six. Fun is they are still going on about that six. Some of the guys were not even born to see that six.

[ganeshran]

Yes should have been won by India. It was more dramatic than it deserved to be because the six came off last ball. A ball earlier or over earlier would not have been that bad. Also.. not just against Pakistan.. losing any match against any team coming that close would shatter me. I still remember how Balaji was smoted for 6 by Brett lee when India almost won an ODI in Australia. But saying that it would leave scar for your life is an overstatement in my view. That match was anything but something that will be haunting you for the rest of your life. Some come up with weird theory that India carried that scar for 10 years or so. How anyone could carry the scar for 10 years if you are not even part of it. India beat Pakistan in 1992 world cup, 1996 world cup. They were still going about that six. Fun is they are still going on about that six. Some of the guys were not even born to see that six.

:agree: Lets hope that they keep harping on that one six and we keep beating them at all tournaments :yess:

[Dhruv200]

India beat pakistan in semi final 2011 world cup went on to win the world cup India beat pakistan t20 2007 final this haunts are enough for pakistan team and fans and not to forget every world cup match we win and kick them out of world cup is enough.:hysterical:

[coffee_rules]

Miandad's relation with Dawood haunts whole of India.

[suraj]

Who cares abt that six now?? We are world champions:yay::yay::yay::yay::yay::yay::yay:

[vijay810]

Ok He hit that one six. But to say it left a scar is too much. In reply Rajesh Chouhan hit a six to win an ODI in Pakistan. Kanitkar hit a last ball 4 in chase of 314. India skitlled out Pakistan defending 125 in Sharjah. India defeated Pakistan emphatically in 1985 B and H final in Australia. Not to metion recent Asia cup Harbhajan mauling Akthar and Amir snatching victory from their hands India kicking out Pakistan out of World cup in QF 96, SF WC2011 and ruining their chances in 2003. and then Joginder Sharma outfoxing Misbah in T20 2007 final.

[Temujin Khaghan]

for the indian fans who started watching cricket from 96 WC the worst memories were of Sanath Jayasurya and Alan Donald. i dont think anyone caused so much heart burn as these two have. we had absolutely no chance against them. especially jayasurya had a liking for the venky, kumble and srinath trio... pakistani players? heartburn? maybe just one game - the famous chennai test... nothing else.

[Temujin Khaghan]

south africa under cronje used to kick our ass on a regular basis unless sachin scored something match fixing? wtf

[saneindian]

IIRC Pakistan scored 100+ runs in the last 10 overs of that match. More than that 6, what I still remember is the easy run out that Azahr missed on the 5th ball of the last over. Perhaps it was Tauseef Ahmad who was running to the danger end, was way short, Azhar was 4-5 meters away from the stumps and had all the time in the world yet coud not hit the stumps. Anyways whatever disappointment I had after that match were over in the 1992 and 96 WC, especially the 1996 WC. If anything, that assault by Jadeja on Waqar would continue to haunt the Pakistanis for a lot longer. They had a great team back then, our team wasn't as strong yet we thrashed them in such a huge game.

[saneindian]

BTW Chetan SHarma was on one of the news channels talking about this match and that ball. He clearly said, it did affect him for a month or two but post that he moved on. He talked about how he did well oj the tour of England a couple of months later, took 16-17 wickets and helped us win a test series in England. Also spoke about his WC hattrick and the ODI 100 he scored in the Nehru Cup. He ended the interview by saying, I have done many more wnderful things in my career other than that SIX ball. I would much rather think about tthose moments than this 6.

[NareshK]

No wonder he turned out to be a crap bowler. He seems to be too mentally weak to be bowling in international matches. With his mindset, he wouldnt last a day in today's cricket.