After winning the toss and electing to bat, our spirits were up. The plan was to post a big score (200+) in the allotted 20 overs and then put pressure on their famous batting attack.
But not all went according to plan. 2 wickets in 2 balls in the very first over - both opening batsmen back in the hut! .....Soon the score read, 17/3 and a few minutes later - 25/4.....we were in trouble. Puneet and Ajay B tried to steady the score, but the wickets kept falling. By the 18th over, we were reeling at 87/8!!
Rahul and Sujit were at the crease. I, the last batsman, was padded up and keenly awaiting my turn. A left arm spinner was bowling to Sujit. The first few balls were quiet. The third ball was pitched up. Sujit put his foot out and drove the ball down the ground. Mid On was standing inside the circle and the ball raced past him to the boundary. 4 runs!!
Claps all around. Then Sujit played a rash shot to the next ball and held out to the same fielder. 9 wickets down and that meant I had to go bat.
As I reached the middle, Rahul came up to me and said ' Play out the 2 overs. They have crossed their allotted time for bowling and we will get 20 extra runs for doing nothing!!'
I did some mental calculation in my mind. 91 + 20 = 111 runs already!!!......wait...I had to survive 2 overs. I got going about my task.
2 balls to go in this over.....I completely missed the first one. I had no idea whether it had spun away or spun in.....I was simply glad that it missed the stumps too!!
Last ball - The ball was pitched up. I somehow managed to get to the pitch of the ball and tap it. The feeling of the ball hitting the middle of my bat was soothing. I had survived!!
Rahul played the first few balls of the 19th over and took a single of the third ball. I had to survive 3 balls, but it was a spinner again. Watching 3 balls from the other end, I had realized that he was a leg spinner. The ball would go away from me. I had to remember that.
4th ball - The bowler bowled. I could see the ball was pitched up. It was coming towards me just above the line of sight of my eyes. Damn...I realized it was a full toss!!. I simply closed my eyes and swung away. Thwack.....I knew that I had made contact. I opened my eyes. The ball was soaring up in the air. It was the shortest boundary of the V.E.T ground - I had hit a six!!.....Woooo....That felt great.
The whole team was cheering for obvious reasons. I had to concentrate again.
5th ball - This time my confidence was high. I was able to read the bowling. He had dropped it short. I simply rocked back and smacked it through Covers. Well.....the ball actually went past the diving left hand of the point fielder, but Third Man was too fine and I had hit a boundary again.
10 runs in two balls. I made a mental calculation in my mind - 122 runs. I could picture myself , standing next to the organizer, holding the 'Man of the Match' award. We simply had to survive another over.
6th ball - The ball was again pitched up. I drove it to Long Off and ran through for a single. I was happy that Rahul was letting me take strike for the last over.
However, when I reached the other end, something strange happened. The bowler, who was obviously pissed off started tapping me at the back of my helmet - Knock Knock!!
It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. ' What the hell...' I thought to myself, 'Is this some new form of sledging.' I looked around to the Umpire. He was cautioning the bowler.
I was in some sort of a shock, but decided to carry on. DELL was known to adopt such tactics. I decided to concentrate. But by this time, their Wicketkeeper had come across and now he started to tap me on my helmet too. Knock Knock......
I looked around again. The Leg Umpire simply raised his hands and said, ' There is no rule against this type of sledging. There is nothing I can do.'
What!!......this can't be true. I looked at my captain. They were simply sitting there eating chips and drinking Pepsi. I looked at Rahul. He too was standing there doing nothing.
Their Wicketkeeper continued to knock - Knock Knock!!
'Too much........This can't be right', I thought to myself.
I simply closed my eyes.......and when I opened them again......I was lying on my bed starring at the ceiling fan.
My maid was at furiously knocking at the door - ' Bhaiya.....Kholo Bhaiya!!'
Rahul and Sujit were at the crease. I, the last batsman, was padded up and keenly awaiting my turn. A left arm spinner was bowling to Sujit. The first few balls were quiet. The third ball was pitched up. Sujit put his foot out and drove the ball down the ground. Mid On was standing inside the circle and the ball raced past him to the boundary. 4 runs!!
Claps all around. Then Sujit played a rash shot to the next ball and held out to the same fielder. 9 wickets down and that meant I had to go bat.
As I reached the middle, Rahul came up to me and said ' Play out the 2 overs. They have crossed their allotted time for bowling and we will get 20 extra runs for doing nothing!!'
I did some mental calculation in my mind. 91 + 20 = 111 runs already!!!......wait...I had to survive 2 overs. I got going about my task.
2 balls to go in this over.....I completely missed the first one. I had no idea whether it had spun away or spun in.....I was simply glad that it missed the stumps too!!
Last ball - The ball was pitched up. I somehow managed to get to the pitch of the ball and tap it. The feeling of the ball hitting the middle of my bat was soothing. I had survived!!
Rahul played the first few balls of the 19th over and took a single of the third ball. I had to survive 3 balls, but it was a spinner again. Watching 3 balls from the other end, I had realized that he was a leg spinner. The ball would go away from me. I had to remember that.
4th ball - The bowler bowled. I could see the ball was pitched up. It was coming towards me just above the line of sight of my eyes. Damn...I realized it was a full toss!!. I simply closed my eyes and swung away. Thwack.....I knew that I had made contact. I opened my eyes. The ball was soaring up in the air. It was the shortest boundary of the V.E.T ground - I had hit a six!!.....Woooo....That felt great.
The whole team was cheering for obvious reasons. I had to concentrate again.
5th ball - This time my confidence was high. I was able to read the bowling. He had dropped it short. I simply rocked back and smacked it through Covers. Well.....the ball actually went past the diving left hand of the point fielder, but Third Man was too fine and I had hit a boundary again.
10 runs in two balls. I made a mental calculation in my mind - 122 runs. I could picture myself , standing next to the organizer, holding the 'Man of the Match' award. We simply had to survive another over.
6th ball - The ball was again pitched up. I drove it to Long Off and ran through for a single. I was happy that Rahul was letting me take strike for the last over.
However, when I reached the other end, something strange happened. The bowler, who was obviously pissed off started tapping me at the back of my helmet - Knock Knock!!
It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. ' What the hell...' I thought to myself, 'Is this some new form of sledging.' I looked around to the Umpire. He was cautioning the bowler.
I was in some sort of a shock, but decided to carry on. DELL was known to adopt such tactics. I decided to concentrate. But by this time, their Wicketkeeper had come across and now he started to tap me on my helmet too. Knock Knock......
I looked around again. The Leg Umpire simply raised his hands and said, ' There is no rule against this type of sledging. There is nothing I can do.'
What!!......this can't be true. I looked at my captain. They were simply sitting there eating chips and drinking Pepsi. I looked at Rahul. He too was standing there doing nothing.
Their Wicketkeeper continued to knock - Knock Knock!!
'Too much........This can't be right', I thought to myself.
I simply closed my eyes.......and when I opened them again......I was lying on my bed starring at the ceiling fan.
My maid was at furiously knocking at the door - ' Bhaiya.....Kholo Bhaiya!!'
Author: Prasan
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