5 iconic matches played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Sharjah Cricket Ground – One of cricket’s most iconic venuesIt has been said of the famed Lord’s cricket ground in England that countless great deeds have found a resting place on its hallowed field over time. While the distinction of being the Mecca of cricket is a fitting epithet to the iconic stadium, a similar moniker could also apply to the oft-reviled Sharjah Cricket Association stadium in the UAE. For there have been many memorable events that unfolded on that ground – a testament to the vast improvements that have been done since its establishment in 1982. It provided sanctuary to a beleaguered Pakistan Cricket Board when international tours in the troubled nation were called off many times, often playing the role of a neutral venue until recently.While the current crop of youthful fans would recollect the match centre as being the host of the first half of the 2014 Indian Premier League, long-time observers of the game still recall fondly some of the greatest feats achieved under its aegis.Here are five such games that have carved their own places in the glittering annals of cricketing folklore due to some outstanding individual achievements.

#5 Humiliation at Sharjah - India vs Sri Lanka, Coca Cola Champions Trophy Final, 2000

Abject surrender and utter humiliation – the two phrases were used most frequently at the end of a completely one-sided final of the Coca Cola Champions Trophy in 2000. It did not look like the Indians were in any mood to go down fighting. Such was the psychological hold exerted by three of Sri Lanka’s celebrated cricketers that the 1983 world champions fell to their worst defeat in a long time.

Sanath Jayasuriya, captaining the side, led a revival after the Emerald Islanders had fallen to 116/4. Pacing his innings well in the company of Russel Arnold, the left-hander opened up towards the end of the innings with his brutal strokeplay, as he smashed his way to a magnificent 189, steering his team to a competitive 299 in the allotted 50 overs.

And what followed could only be described as a brain freeze. Chaminda Vaas & Muttiah Muralitharan ran through the Indian batting without so much as a whimper of fight from anyone. Only Robin Singh, with 11 runs, managed to enter double figures, as the Men in Blue fell for a paltry 54. 245 runs is too large a margin of defeat, and even 15 years down the line, old-timers still look pained when recalling this nightmare of a game.

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#4 When the \'master\' became the \'blaster\' - India vs Zimbabwe, Coca Cola Cup Final, 1998

Never, under any circumstances, make Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar angry. For he will respond, not by words, but with the broad blade that transforms into a weapon of mass destruction more often than not. The Master never forgets, and Zimbabwe were made to feel the brunt of his retribution for inflicting a humiliating defeat on the Men in Blue two nights previously.

The African side made first use of the wicket, but against a disciplined Indian bowling attack admirably led by old warhorse Javagal Srinath, they couldn’t muster enough runs to even remotely pose a threat to the opposition. Leg-spinner Paul Strang top scored with 46, and a late cameo from veteran bowler Eddo Brandes took the total to 196, which looked to be almost at par, at one stage.

Then Tendulkar walked in with Sourav Ganguly, and all hell broke loose.

Henry Olonga, the hero of the game two nights ago, had committed the cardinal sin of removing the dashing Indian opener with a short ball at good pace. It was an ignominious dismissal by his standards, so once the dreadlocked pacer came on to bowl, Sachin just let go of all caution and proceeded to savagely batter his opponent, hitting fours and sixes at will. 50 runs came off Olonga’s six over spell, and that was the last that the Indian public saw of him that night; he played no further part with the ball.

Captain Alistair Campbell’s decision to not give enough overs to the accurate Heath Streak backfired big time, as Sachin’s uninhibited strokeplay fetched him 124 runs off just 92 deliveries. Ganguly’s fine innings of 63 became a mere footnote, as India romped to victory with all 10 wickets in hand and more than 20 overs still left to play.

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#3 Sealed with a six - India vs Pakistan, Austral-Asia Cup Final, 1986

Javed Miandad’s last-ball maximum still hurts Indian fans to this day

In his legendarium, The Lord of the Rings, acclaimed author J.R.R. Tolkien mentions a battle between Dwarves and Orcs as one that caused the latter to shudder & the former to weep whenever the subject was brought up. For most veteran Indian fans, this analogy reopens an old wound left by the outcome of the Austral-Asia Cup final of 1986, where one error led to a side carrying a burden for nearly 30 years.

Sunil Gavaskar, approaching the end of a wonderful international career, had been in the form of his life right throughout the tournament. His 92, made off 134 balls, was a treat for the purists, though one could also argue that it was yet another example of his struggle to adapt to the limited-overs version of the game. With Srikkanth buccaneering his way to 75 and a solid half century from Dilip Vengsarkar, India scored 245 in their 50 overs – a target that would be challenging in those times.

Despite Javed Miandad compiling a battling hundred, everyone, including the Pakistan fans, sensed an Indian victory. The equation boiled down to four runs off the last ball, with all-rounder Chetan Sharma looking to settle the game in his side’s favour. Knowing that the fast bowler would attempt a yorker, Miandad decided to stand well ahead of the crease in order to give himself room to land the winning hit.

What followed next was jubilance for one, heartbreak for the other – Sharma’s attempted yorker became a low, waist-high full toss, and Miandad swung savagely, connecting well and sending the ball soaring over the midwicket fence for a maximum. The Indians were shell-shocked, Pakistan ecstatic, and the Austral-Asia tournament ended on a thrilling note!

#2 Wasim Akram\'s second ODI hat-trick - Pakistan vs Australia, Austral-Asia Cup Final, 1990

Wasim Akram is a legend – There are no doubts about it at all. What Imran Khan & Co. witnessed in 1990 and then at the World Cup two years later was just a trailer. The Sultan of Swing played a stellar role in a movie-like career that spanned more than 15 years and included two hat tricks in ODIs. The second of these came in the finals of the Austral-Asia Cup in 1990 – four years after Pakistan had triumphed over arch-rivals India in a thrilling finale – against Australia.

Saleem Malik’s 87, along with southpaw Saeed Anwar’s 40-run knock, formed the cornerstones of Pakistan’s 266 after speedster Carl Rackemann wrecked their batting order with his pace. Akram showed glimpses of his skill with the willow as his late blast netted him 49 runs, which included three monstrous sixes. With the lineup that Australia boasted of, the target wouldn’t have looked all that threatening.

Steve Waugh and Simon O’Donnell weathered a mini-collapse after openers David Boon & Mark Taylor had put on another fifty-plus stand early in the chase. It came to a stage with the Kangaroos needing 37 runs off the last four overs, and three wickets left in the hut.

However, the Lahore-born left-arm seamer proceeded to take out tailenders Merv Hughes, Rackemann & Terry Alderman to record his second hat trick in ODI cricket and win the title for his nation. Akram’s magnificent all-round efforts saw him bag the Player of the Match award, one of many he would go on to receive in his long, illustrious career.

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#1 Desert Storm - India vs Australia, 1997-98 Coca Cola Trophy

Sachin Tendulkar’s prowess peaked during the period from 1994 to 1998 particularly in the One-Day format. Sharjah, and by extension the whole of the UAE as well as the cricketing world at large, witnessed two of the most sublime innings ever produced by the Mumbai opener against the mighty Australian side helmed by Steve Waugh. While the second one came on his 25th birthday and won his side the coveted Coca-Cola Cup, it was the first knock in a must-qualify game that stands out in memory the most.

With its huge expatriate population, UAE didn’t want the Trans-Tasman rivalry to be renewed in the summit clash (New Zealand was the third side in the tri-series). Yet, Michael Bevan’s magnificent 101 – only his third century in ODIs – threatened to take the game away from the Indians.

The fact that the bowling was pedestrian at best & the fielding not up to the mark, compounded skipper Mohammad Azharuddin’s headaches even more. India needed 254 to qualify for the final, which was again revised to 237 from 46 overs after a sand storm threw everyone off guard.

Tendulkar upped the ante right away and he began targeting every bowler in sight – Warne in particular – and accelerated hard, first raising a half-century stand with wicket keeper Nayan Mongia and then single-handedly booking India’s place in the final after the storm had dissipated.

The highlight of his extraordinary 143-run innings was his crisp, clean, straight hits that cleared the billboards back over the bowlers’ heads. India rocketed to the ultimate clash, where another Sachin special secured the trophy against the world’s then-best team.

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Edited by Staff Editor