India is overwhelmed by the mayhem at the Sharjah extravaganza.

It seemed like a dream you hoped would linger longer long before the cloud of sadness descended. As the sun set, the fans—nearly 15,000 of whom were in Sharjah—rushed through the turnstiles, raucous and ecstatic, yelling, singing, waving, and doing anything they could to catch Jemi, Harry Di, or Smriti's eye.It appeared that the days of cramming a stand with schoolchildren and giving out free sandwiches were long gone. It felt like the beginning of a new era, with all of that apathy and systemic indifference (at least in part) behind us. Now, the rocket just needed that fuel to get into orbit.For India to move from being a contender to a champion, they needed that boost. Even if their captain is walking on crutches and moonwalkers, they still need to play like one against the genuine ones, who know how to end games from difficult scenarios. The stage could hardly have been more magnificent for India.The commotion, commotion, color, and craziness were chaotic yet magnificent. Security officers who were accustomed to watching four administrators and five ground crew members argue over countless cups of Irani chai had never experienced such a last-minute tussle, where all pre-match procedures, including complex security measures, needed to be practiced.With good cause, this India vs. Australia encounter was billed as the tournament's main event. It all deserved a thriller because of its grandeur.

We also got one. However, it seemed inevitable that the rock stars, who were the main attraction, would end their show in the middle of their performance. Unless Monday night is when Pakistan plays the match of their lives.India's jigsaw was clinically disassembled by Australia, leaving them with a number of problems and few answers. The captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, was devastated and appeared exhausted, both emotionally and physically, as he struggled to breathe in the unbearable October heat. India had Australia on the ropes, as they have on a few occasions, despite all the failed run-out opportunities and dropped catches, as well as the confusion surrounding Asha Sobhana's one-leg hobble shortly before the game, which nobody appeared to take seriously enough at first. Consider the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Cape Town last year or, more recently, the T20I series in Navi Mumbai in December. Australia momentarily faltered despite India's wobble in the top order, which was caused by the absence of Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, and Jemimah Rodrigues. The opposing duo of Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma brought India