Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s last-ball six legacy and lessons from India’s defeat to Australia

By K.R. Nayar
From Sharjah Cricket Stadium

It is always worth being aware of a stadium’s history before playing an important match. Sharjah Cricket Stadium has always been known for its thrilling finishes. As a reporter and commentator, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve witnessed last-ball sixes deciding victories on this ground. Undoubtedly, the biggest amongst all these has to be Pakistan’s Javed Miandad’s last-ball six that secured a win against India on April 18, 1986, in the Austral-Asia Cup final.

Last-ball six 

Whether chasing a score or setting a total in Sharjah, the last ball of the innings must be bowled carefully. Teams that hit the last ball of the innings for a six often emerge victorious. In the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup match between India and Australia on October 13, 2024, Australia crossed the 150-run mark thanks to a last-ball six by Phoebe Litchfield off Shreyanka Patil. India lost the match by just nine runs. Without that six, the target could have been more manageable in the final over, and India might not have panicked, losing four wickets in a frantic scramble to chase the target.

Australian team... serial killers 

Australia is beatable but ….

Every match and tournament is a learning curve. The close nine-run defeat taught India that Australia, six-time champions and semifinalists in all nine editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup, is a team that can be beaten by capitalizing on their mistakes. Australia has earned the nickname “serial killers” for their aggressive playstyle and intimidating presence. Their fitness, confidence, and powerful strokes often make them seem superior. The power they can put behind their strokes made me even expect a six that would sail out of the ground, as men often do it on this ground.

Harmanpreet Kaur

Turning point

To beat a six-time champion requires immense determination and seizing opportunities to apply pressure. Consider the tough chances Australia converted into dismissals yesterday: Jemimah Rodrigues' pull off Megan Schutt was brilliantly caught by Ashleigh Gardner when Rodrigues was just starting to find her rhythm. Georgia Wareham’s well-judged catch of Deepti Sharma at deep mid-wicket off Sophie Molineux ended a crucial 63-run partnership between Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, a turning point in the match.

Run choke for India

Once again, Australia’s composure in the final over proved decisive. Annabel Sutherland bowled Pooja Vastrakar with the second ball, while Litchfield and Sutherland combined to run out Arundhati Reddy. Wicketkeeper Beth Mooney cleverly ran out Patil, and Sutherland trapped Radha Yadav leg before to seal the victory. Key moments like in the 13th over, where India could only score three runs off Sutherland, and the 17th over, where they managed just one run off Schutt, were pivotal.

Where were the Australian fans? 

Australia achieved all this in front of a packed stadium, where Indian fans dominated the atmosphere. If there were any Australian supporters present, their cheers were drowned out by the Indian crowd. Interestingly, Pakistan’s fans were also cheering for India to win so they could stay in contention for the semifinals.

The run chase  

As India took on the challenge of chasing the target, it was fascinating to track who was ahead at different stages. Australia were 65 for 2 at the halfway mark, while India had the edge at 67 for 3 after 10 overs. Australia crossed 100 in 14.3 overs, while India reached the same milestone in 15.1 overs.

When calculators were out

It was also a match where just about everyone was busy calculating India’s chances of reaching the semi-finals without relying on the other teams. After Australia posted 151, India needed to win in 10.2 overs to surpass Australia’s run rate. In the case of a loss, India needed to score at least 139 to stay ahead of New Zealand in Net Run Rate (NRR). India managed the latter by scoring 142 for 9.

Harmanpreet Kaur ... fighting knock

A salute to Indian skipper 

This analysis wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored an unbeaten 54. She has now hit fifty-plus scores in each of her last three T20Is against Australia, with 52 and 65 in the Commonwealth Games 2022, and 52 in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.

The most important lesson Indian women will take from this World Cup is that there is no room for a bad day. The unexpected defeat to New Zealand is what forced India to push harder for a victory over Australia and compelled statisticians to calculate their Net Run Rate to advance beyond the group stage

Brief scores:
Australia bt India by nine runs. Australia 151/8 in 20 overs (Grace Harris 40, Tahlia McGrath 32, Ellyse Perry 32; Renuka Singh Thakur 2/24, Deepti Sharma 2/28) India 142/9 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 54 not out, Deepti Sharma 29; Annabel Sutherland 2/22, Sophie Molineux 2/32).