A significant development in the limited-overs version of the game of cricket took place at Sharjah, when the future superpowers of the game, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, competed for the Asia Cup. India had a very good team (a team that had won the World Cup), Pakistan was strong and Sri Lanka was in a phase of development. Quite clearly, it was a battle between the arch-rivals India and Pakistan for the cup.

Unlike the One Day cricket today, a score of 220 would have been competitive, but such was the nature of the pitch at Sharjah (again, in stark contrast to its nature now), that no team ever touched 200. Sri Lanka, in their two matches, showed why they were still a developing team, as they produced a woeful batting performance against India, after a morale-boosting shock win over Pakistan.

Pakistan, led by Zaheer Abbas, was shot out for 187 by the Lankans in the opening match of the tournament. Those were the days when Arjuna Ranatunga bowled regularly. He used his slow-medium pace to pick up 3 wickets against the strong Pakistani batting line-up. Sri Lanka was helped by the absence of Imran Khan and also by the elegant stroke-play of Roy Dias, who scored a half-century and saw to it that they win the match.

Just as they were celebrating this victory, two days later came the shocker of a performance that one associates with young teams against strong opponents. Firstly, the Lankans got themselves out for 96 (albeit the bowling attack featured Chetan Sharma, Manoj Prabhakar, Roger Binny and Madan Lal). Such was the strength of the Indian team that they made light of Kapil Dev's absence. A ten wicket win shattered the hopes that the Lankans harboured of winning the cup.

India, on the other hand, carried the confidence of the previous match to the big finale against Pakistan. Even though the tournament featured one other team, it was India and Pakistan who mattered. In a match that looked similar to the World Cup finals which India won against the West Indies, the former got a low 188 batting first. But Pakistan, now without Javed Miandad, saw their batsmen getting starts and getting out. Binny and Ravi Shastri got 3 wickets each, but it was the 4 run-outs that shut Pakistan out of the game.

Thus, the first Asia Cup went the way of the first Asian, World Cup winners. Now, as far as the One Day variety of the game was concerned, the reputation of the Indian team was growing rapidly.