God of Cricket!-Chapter 50: Us and Them

Chapter 50: Us and Them

[Star Sports Studio, Mumbai]

’Hello viewers and welcome to another segment of Sports Today here on Star Sports, and the topic of discussion and analysis today will be the thrilling match that went on yesterday between Mumbai and our very own Surrey County in London.

I am your host Mayanti Langer joined by one of the legends of the game, Sunil Gavaskar.’

"Thank you Mayanti, I’m very glad to be on this segment," Sunny Bhai said with a curt nod.

"Well, we’re also glad to have you here. Now yesterday was thrilling for anyone who was at The Oval."

"The pre-season saw Mumbai face off against Surrey 2nd XI in a bout that saw the visitors win convincingly. We had a lot to see from the visitors and also from some of the local players."

"One player, in particular, carried his team on his back, and he goes by the name of Aryan Sharma. What do you have to say about this, Sunny?"

Mayanti said as the camera panned to Gavaskar.

"You know, I’ve seen talent, but his is just glorious. I just recently found out that he wasn’t even 16 years old, but the level of maturity that he plays with is just spectacular," Gavaskar said.

"The way he carries himself on the field and the way he just looks around for gaps and placement. It reminds me of a young Yuvraj Singh in that aspect, but at the same time, Aryan shows how deadly he is on the attack and it translated by how he scored a century and even bowled well," Gavaskar analyzed.

Mayanti smiled at Gavaskar before continuing.

"At such a young age he already is an integral member of the Mumbai squad. I can’t wait till he’s mature."

"One youngster too in particular shined despite the loss and it’s Middlesex’s very own Kevin (fictional English talent) who despite coming from the bench made a fifty that brought the team back within contention. What are your thoughts?" Mayanti spoke.

"Well, Kevin also showed levels yesterday and proved he too was no fluke. His technique allowed him to spot and make the shots that led to the runs."

Gavaskar sighed then continued, "I just hope he doesn’t get lazy or complacent due to the county circuit grind. I really hope that English cricket can change and I hope these young ones can do that."

"Okay then Sunny, what are your thoughts on the possibility of Aryan playing for England? We all found out about him yesterday and it turns out his grandparents are British citizens, meaning he could be eligible to play for England via residency if he stays," Mayanti spoke (hypothetical scenario).

"Well, it’d be good for them, but I don’t think the BCCI would be dumb enough not to recognize such a talent if he proves his worth. So if there’s a possibility he plays for us, then that would be tremendous, but I wouldn’t worry about losing him," Gavaskar laughed.

"Okay moving on....."

[Fitness Center, The Langham Hotel]

"How bad is it?" Coach Amre asked.

"What’s with the face, Praveen? It’s not that bad. All he needs is ’RICE’," the team doctor said.

Coach Amre nodded looking at Aryan who looked puzzled.

"What?" he asked. "Sorry Coach but ’Rice’? I don’t think eating rice has any magical healing properties," Aryan said.

"Not rice, R.I.C.E," Coach Amre said as if it would make any sense for Aryan who didn’t understand the medical acronym.

"Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation," the doctor said after Aryan still looked puzzled.

Aryan finally figured the meaning with an ’oooohhh’ look on his face.

"He might be able to play, but I suggest you don’t play him in the next match against Middlesex," the specialist said.

"Okay doc," Coach Amre said. Assistant Coach Kulkarni looked at Aryan with a relieved face. "That’s great then," Kulkarni muttered.

The specialist called Amre to talk after he was done inspecting Aryan’s ankle.

"Don’t play him too much eh. He’s still growing. Manage his workload well," he said while walking away.

[Hotel Lobby]

"How was it man?" Rohit Sharma asked as soon as Aryan got to the lobby where the players were chatting.

"Well, he said it’s not that bad, but I won’t be able to play the next match," Aryan replied with a dejected face.

Aryan loved the thrill and the adrenaline that rushed at him when he played the game he loved.

"That’s good then, and also don’t look dejected, what matters is that you’re okay," Rohit said.

The other players heaved a sigh of relief after they heard Aryan’s words.

"Oh my God, Rohit, is that really you?" Aryan said with a cheeky grin.

"It seems you’ve finally grown up," Aryan added, drawing laughs from the other players.

"Y-,yo-, I’m looking out for you and yo-" Rohit struggled.

"Eei, eei, stop fumbling with words," Aryan said. The players couldn’t stop laughing at the funny interaction between the two.

"Well it’s good that you’re okay," Wasim Jaffer, the team captain, said.

Aryan nodded and smiled at him.

The team had a few niggles already so if Aryan got injured too then it’d be bad.

Without knowing, the other players had started to rely on Aryan to come in clutch during the season.

"Well let’s get some rest and we’ll meet for dinner a bit later. Is that okay?" Coach Amre said while scanning the faces of the players.

The players nodded and went to their rooms.

[3 Days Later - Lord’s Cricket Ground]

[COMMENTATOR]

’It’s been an exciting first innings here at Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, and Middlesex is leading Mumbai by a significant margin as they posted 320/5.

The Mumbai bowlers have been sloppy, but I can’t blame them as they are playing with their reserve squad.

It was sudden but the Coach decided not to play a lot of the main force after what happened yesterday in training.

It seems he got cautious after his little magician got injured.’

Aryan sat on the balcony of the Lord’s dressing room looking at the reserve team get trolled by the Middlesex batsmen. The wickets that Mumbai got back were all as a result of mishits or run-outs.

The first innings ended, and the players quickly went to their dressing rooms.

The lunch break passed quickly and soon the players were returning from the pavilion for the chase.

The Mumbai team had changed a bit of the lineup as 4 players had been substituted out (rolling subs allowed in warmup).

Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Abhishek Nayar who were all on the bench had been subbed in for the other 4.

The umpire quickly restarted the match as soon as the players got into position and a notable change could be seen.

The difference was quickly noticed as Mumbai started attacking more. The match became fast-paced as both sides were trying to establish control over the game.

The scoring routes seemed to have also changed to finding gaps rather than just defending.

The team which had the better technique and timing had the advantage, and Mumbai seemed to be thriving with this play.

Rohit sent the ball to the boundary in the 15th over after a loose delivery had granted his team a freebie.

The Mumbai openers burst with sudden runs immediately after getting hold of the momentum.

The bowlers of Middlesex had a very hard time dismissing the batsmen who had technique and at the same time aggression.

Aryan looked on eagerly from the balcony as his team had gotten a chance to chase the total.

Rahane raised his bat to acknowledge his fifty and the Middlesex bowlers didn’t disappoint with their response as they bowled tight lines.

Only downside was the field placement was a defensive one which had now caught them off guard against singles.

Rohit, who saw this, quickly rushed towards the non-striker’s end to potentially steal a single.

He didn’t have it easy though as one of the Middlesex fielders had swooped in.

Using his peripheral vision, he had already spotted Rahane responding, and Rohit, after he got to the crease, allowed the ball to pass—no wait, he completed the run.

The Middlesex player who was not expecting this couldn’t react in time as the throw missed.

And being the prolific striker he was, Rahane didn’t disappoint and sent a roaring shot into the stands leaving the bowler with no chance.

The supporters of Mumbai erupted into cheers in the stadium. Rahane immediately punched gloves with Rohit and went back to his mark.

"Well, I guess that’s it then," Aryan thought as he pulled his hoodie to cover his face as he began to sleep.

The match became one-sided from there on as Mumbai went on to chase the target with 5 wickets in hand courtesy of Rohit (Century) and Rahane making the score 321/5.

The fans clapped for the players who had showed them such a run-fest.

The players quickly returned to their bus after the match as it was getting cold and the fans also followed suit to their various homes.

The night was long as Aryan stared at the silver moon through the windows of the bus.

[The Following Morning]

"Ahhhh Aryan, when will you be free? Mommy misses you," Priya said from the other side of the phone.

"I’ll have 3 days off after the Sussex match, Mum. We can have fun then," Aryan replied with a smile.

"Aryan beta (son), how are you doing?" Aryan heard his grandfather’s voice from the background.

"Hello, hope you’re well Dadaji," Aryan said.

"Well I’m fine, your grandmother is the problem, always nagging and—ouch."

"You see my boy, she just hit me with a belan (rolling pin), never marry fierce women okay?" Aryan’s grandfather added before sounds of smacking could be heard over the call.

"Guess they’re fine since they’re this energetic," Aryan said.

"Where’s Riya by the way?" Aryan asked his mom as his sister seemed absent.

"She found a few friends from the neighboring Indian families and decided to go and explore Southall with them," Priya said.

"Oh, okay. Well, I’ll see you soon Mum," Aryan said ending the call.

Aryan then proceeded to the conference room of the hotel which was being used by the team for tactical sessions.

Aryan passed by a few of the hotel’s staff and women who couldn’t stop gawking at him. Aryan really didn’t look his age.

The women kept whispering and giggling while looking at him.

"His eyes are so beautiful." "Do you think I have a chance?"

"Hey, you’re no match for him."

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

The last comment Aryan heard brought Ananya to mind.

"It’s been a while since I talked to her," Aryan said while entering the conference room.

"Let’s call her after this," Aryan made a mental note.

Aryan found a seat empty near Rohit but decided to stand. Rohit who saw this couldn’t find words to say.

Wasim Jaffer signaled Aryan to come sit in the empty seat beside him.

Rohit sneakily stood up and kicked them at the back.

"Can’t escape my friend," Rohit said scaring Jaffer. Coach Amre noticed this and spoke, "Would you like to lead this session Rohit?"

"Sorry Coach," Rohit said quickly not wanting to be a clown again.

Coach Amre stepped forward while scanning their faces after this before looking away.

He did so for a while before deciding to speak.

"Okay guys, it’s us and Sussex (County Championship Division 1) for a 4-Day game."

(To be Continued)