For More Future Chapters: -
My Patreon: -
https://www.patreon.com/c/Kynstra
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please Donate Power Stones and Join My Patreon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 27, 2021. SuperSport Park, Centurion.Day 2. Morning Session.
We arrived at the ground to a sky that looked like a bruised plum. The glorious sunshine of Day 1 had been replaced by low-hanging, ominous grey clouds. The air was heavy with the smell of rain. The floodlights were already on at 9:30 AM.
India: 289/1.KL Rahul: 122.* Aarav Pathak: 88.*
The plan was simple: Bat once, bat big. Get to 450. Bury South Africa under a mountain of runs.
I walked out with KL. The pitch had been under covers for a bit in the morning. There was moisture. Kagiso Rabada had the ball. He looked like a man who had been scolded by his captain all night. He was steaming in during the warm-ups.
Over 91: Rabada started with a maiden to KL Rahul. The ball was jagging around. Over 92: Lungi Ngidi kept it tight to me. I managed a single to keep the strike rotating. Score: 290/1.
Over 93: Kagiso Rabada.
Rabada found his length. The "Centurion Length"—short of a good length that explodes off the surface.
Ball 93.1: Rahul defended. The ball hit the splice. The bat handle vibrated.
Ball 93.2: Rabada went shorter. A directed bouncer at the ribcage. KL Rahul had batted 248 balls with immense discipline. But maybe the overnight break had broken his rhythm. Maybe the dark sky made him misjudge the pace. He tried to fend it away, to ride the bounce. But the ball got big on him. It kissed the glove. It flew to the right of the wicketkeeper. Quinton de Kock didn't make a mistake. He dived and pouched it safely.
KL Rahul c de Kock b Rabada 122 (254)India: 290/2
A magnificent innings came to an abrupt end. Rahul walked off, clearly frustrated that he couldn't convert it into a 'Daddy Hundred' of 150+.
Pommie Mbangwa (Comms): "And there is the breakthrough! Rabada strikes early on Day 2! It was the heavy ball, into the ribs, and Rahul couldn't get out of the way. South Africa has an opening. The door is ajar."
The applause for Rahul was warm, but the cheer for the next man was electric. Virat Kohli walked out. He looked up at the sky, checking the clouds. He marked his guard. Two leg.
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "The Captain walks out. He has been searching for runs. This is a perfect platform, 290 for 2, but the conditions are challenging."
For the next five overs, it was a battle of survival. Virat faced the bulk of the strike. He left balls that missed the off-stump by millimeters. He was beaten twice by Ngidi. But he survived. He got off the mark with a classic push to mid-off.
Virat Kohli: 5 (18 balls).*
I was stranded at the non-striker's end for what felt like an eternity. I was on 89. Finally, in the 97th Over, I got the strike against Marco Jansen.
I knew the rain was coming. I could feel the droplets on my face. The wind was picking up. I need 11 runs. I need to get there before the covers come on.
Ball 97.1: Jansen bowled full, looking for swing. I leaned into it. Cover Drive. It raced across the lush outfield. FOUR.Score: 93.
Ball 97.2: Jansen shortened his length. I rose on my toes. I punched it through point. The timing was crisp. The fielder gave chase, but the outfield was fast. FOUR.Score: 97.
Hashim Amla (Comms): "He is in a hurry! Two glorious shots back-to-back. He moves to 97. He wants that hundred before the heavens open up."
Ball 97.3: Jansen went down the leg side. I flicked it to deep square leg. I wanted two. But the fielder was quick. Just a single. Score: 98.
I was at the non-striker's end. Virat was on strike. The drizzle was getting heavier. The umpires, Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock, were looking at the sky, talking into their walkie-talkies.
Don't stop play. Please don't stop play.
Virat played out three dot balls. He knew I was on 98. He tapped the last ball to mid-on and called for a quick single. "Come on, Aarav!"
I sprinted.
Ball 97.4: I played the ball over covers for a single. Score: 99.
End of Over 97.India: 305/2.Aarav Pathak: 99 (158 balls).* Virat Kohli: 6 (22 balls).*
I was on strike for the next over. Lungi Ngidi was marking his run-up. I needed one run. Just one run for my first Test century in South Africa.
I took my stance. I tapped the bat. I looked at Ngidi.
Then, I saw Ngidi stop. I saw the umpire, Marais Erasmus, walking towards the stumps. He wasn't looking at me. He was looking at the ground staff.
He pulled the bails.
"That's it. Covers are coming on."
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "Oh, that is cruel! That is absolutely cruel! Aarav Pathak is on 99! He is one run away! And the umpires have called for the covers. The rain has come down heavy now. Look at the youngster's face. He is devastated."
I stood there for a second, bat in hand, rain soaking my jersey. 99 Not Out. The most difficult score in cricket.
Virat walked up to me. He put an arm around my shoulder. "It's just rain, Aarav. It will pass. We'll come back after lunch. Stay switched on. Don't let the focus drop."
"I know, Skip," I muttered, looking at the grey sky. "But 99..."
"It keeps you hungry," Virat smiled grimly. "Let's go."
We walked back to the dressing room. Lunch was taken early. I sat in my corner, pads still on. I didn't eat. I just stared at the rain falling on the covers outside the balcony.
1:00 PM: Rain. 2:00 PM: Rain. 3:00 PM: Thunderstorm.
The SuperSoppers tried their best. The ground staff at Centurion are world-class. But the Highveld storm was relentless. The outfield had turned into a swimming pool.
At 4:30 PM, the umpires walked out with umbrellas. They had a brief chat. They waved to the pavilion.
Stumps, Day 2.
Play Abandoned.
I let out a long sigh, unstrapping my pads. I had spent six hours sitting in pads, waiting for one run. 99 Not Out.
Rahul Dravid walked by. He patted my head. "Sleep well, son. Tomorrow is a new day. You'll get it in the first over. Or the second. But you will get it."
I looked at the scoreboard one last time before leaving the ground. Aarav Pathak 99.*
It was going to be a long night.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun had finally broken through the Highveld gloom. The storm that had washed out the entirety of Day 2 had left the outfield lush and heavy, but the pitch had been under covers, sweating. The moisture trapped underneath was a siren call for the South African pacers.
I walked out to the middle with Virat Kohli. The scorecard remained frozen where we had left it 40 hours ago. India: 305/2.Aarav Pathak: 99 (158 balls).* Virat Kohli: 6 (22 balls).*
For a batsman, being stranded on 99 is a specific kind of torture. It is a mental itch you cannot scratch. You sleep with it. You wake up with it. You eat breakfast tasting the anxiety of that single run.
Most batsmen, when they walk out on 99, look for a nudge. They look for a quick single to mid-on. They look to exhale.
I marked my guard. Middle stump. I looked at Lungi Ngidi, who had the ball. He looked fresh. He looked like he wanted to use the morning moisture to nip one back through my gate before I could settle.
The field was attacking. Slips, gully, short leg. They were squeezing.
[System Alert][Status: 99 Not Out.][Mental State: Restless.][Objective: Dominate.]
I tapped the bat on the crease. Tap. Tap. I looked at the field placement. Mid-off was up. Mid-on was up. They expected me to block. They expected me to respect the morning session of a Test match in South Africa.
Respect? Not today.
Over 98. Ball 1.
Ngidi ran in. He hit the deck hard, bowling a length ball on off-stump, looking for that away movement to catch the edge. A perfect Test match delivery to start the day.
I didn't defend. I didn't nudge. I charged.
I took two large strides down the pitch, converting the good length delivery into a half-volley. The audacity of it made Ngidi freeze in his follow-through. I met the ball on the rise. I didn't try to keep it down. I swung through the line with a high elbow and a full, flourishing follow-through.
CRACK.
The sound echoed off the empty grass banks. The ball soared over the head of the mid-off fielder. It kept rising. It sailed over the boundary rope.
SIX!
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "UNBELIEVABLE! ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE! First ball of the day! He is on 99, in a Test match, on a green wicket, and he steps out to Lungi Ngidi and hits him over long-off for six! Who does that? Who even thinks of that? That is the stamp of a genius! That is century number 11 for Aarav Pathak!"
Hashim Amla (Comms): "I am in shock, Sunny. You usually take ten balls to get your eye in after a rain delay. He just walked out and decided he didn't want to wait. What a way to bring up a hundred. The confidence of this young man is frightening."
I watched the ball land in the stands. 105.
I removed my helmet. I held it in my left hand, my bat in my right. I raised both arms to the sky. I closed my eyes, letting the sun hit my face. The frustration of the rain, the long wait in the hotel room—it all evaporated.
I looked at the dressing room. The entire team was on the balcony, applauding. Virat Kohli walked down the pitch, laughing, shaking his head. "You are a madman," Virat said, hugging me. "First ball?"
"I hate 99," I grinned. "Wanted to get it over with."
The Stats Pop-Up (TV Graphics):
AARAV PATHAK - TEST CAREER
Innings: 19
Runs: 1809
Centuries: 11
Half-Centuries: 7
Average:139.15
Pommie Mbangwa (Comms): "Look at those numbers. They are not real. They look like a typo. In 19 innings, he has passed fifty 18 times. He has converted 11 of them into hundreds. His average is 140. The next best in the history of the game is Sir Donald Bradman at 99.94. We are watching a phenomenon that defies statistical logic."
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "It is unreal. We talk about consistency, and then there is this. He treats Test cricket like his personal backyard. 11 hundreds in 19 innings. It took me years to get there. He's done it in his debut year essentially."
I put my helmet back on. The job wasn't done. The hundred was just a milestone; the team total was the goal. Ngidi was rattled. He bowled a wide line for the rest of the over. I defended, leaving the ball alone, showing that the six wasn't recklessness—it was calculated aggression.
Ball 98.6: Ngidi strayed on the pads. I flicked it to deep square leg. I jogged a single. I wanted the strike for the next over. Score: 106.
Over 99: Kagiso Rabada.
South Africa's premier fast bowler. KG Rabada. He was angry. He saw the six off Ngidi as an insult to the fast bowling cartel. He wanted my head.
He marked his run-up. Long. Fast. I adjusted my guard. I knew he would come hard.
Ball 99.1: Rabada banged it in. 148 kmph. Short ball, aimed at the helmet. He wanted to test my reflexes after the celebration. I was waiting. I transferred my weight back. I swiveled. The Pull Shot. I hit it flat. The sound was like a gunshot. The ball flew over deep square leg. It crashed into the advertising boards on the full.
SIX!Score: 112.
Pommie Mbangwa (Comms): "Oh my! He is taking on KG Rabada now! He is not satisfied with the hundred. He wants to hurt them. That was pulled with disdain!"
Ball 99.2: Rabada didn't back down. He went shorter, wider, trying to make me reach. 145 kmph. It was head height outside off. I didn't duck. I didn't leave. I rose on my toes. I opened the face of the bat. The Upper Cut. Using the pace of the ball, I guided it over the slip cordon. It flew over third man. The boundary was short there. It cleared the rope.
SIX!Score: 118.
Hashim Amla (Comms): "This is T20 mode! Two sixes in two balls off Rabada? He is dismantling the attack. 12 runs in two balls. He has moved from 106 to 118 in a blink. This is counter-attacking cricket at its finest."
Ball 99.3: Rabada changed his plan. He went fuller, trying to attack the stumps. But he drifted slightly to the leg side. I went down on one knee. In a Test match. Against a bowler bowling 145 clicks. I swept him. It wasn't a slog sweep; it was a paddle sweep, fine of square leg. The timing was exquisite. FOUR.Score: 122.
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "He is toying with the field! A sweep shot against a fast bowler in Centurion! Dean Elgar is scratching his head. He has no idea where to set the field. Aarav Pathak is batting on a different wicket to everyone else."
Ball 99.4: Rabada paused at the top of his mark. He took a deep breath. He looked at me. There was no anger anymore, just cold focus. He ran in. He didn't bowl short. He didn't bowl the cutter. He bowled the wobble-seam delivery. 144 kmph. It started on a line outside off, inviting the drive. I saw the runs. I saw the gap through covers. I was high on adrenaline. I went for the expansive drive, my feet not quite to the pitch of the ball. The ball nipped back in sharply off the seam. It cut me in half. It took the inside edge.
Snick.
The sound was thin but distinct. The ball flew low to the right of the wicketkeeper. Quinton de Kock dived. His gloves snapped shut around the ball.
Aarav Pathak c de Kock b Rabada 122
Pommie Mbangwa (Comms): "GOT HIM! FINALLY! South Africa breathes! Rabada wins the battle in the end! It took a gem of a delivery to get him. The nip-backer does the trick. But what an innings! What an assault!"
The South African players didn't celebrate wildly. There was just a collective sigh of relief. Elgar high-fived Rabada, looking like a man who had just defused a bomb with one second left on the clock.
I stood there for a second, disappointed with the shot choice. Should have left it. But then, the applause started. The crowd at Centurion rose to their feet. I tucked my bat under my arm. I took off my helmet and raised my bat to the stands, then to the dressing room.
I walked off. 122. Another century. Another statement.
India: 327/3.
I had set the platform. 327 runs on the board with two set batsmen (Kohli was still there) should have meant a total of 450+. But Cricket in South Africa is a game of momentum swings.
Ajinkya Rahane walked out. He looked good. He hit a few crisp boundaries. But the ball, now 100 overs old but still hard, started to reverse. Or maybe it was just the relentless line of Ngidi.
Virat Kohli reached 35, then 40. He looked set for a big one. But at 47, he chased a wide delivery from Marco Jansen. The temptation of the cover drives his old enemy. He edged it to second slip. Virat Kohli c Mulder b Jansen 47.
From there, the slide began. Ajinkya Rahane played a loose cut shot off Ngidi and was caught behind for 36.
Rishabh Pant came out, swung his bat for 8, and was caught at short leg off a snorter from Rabada. Ravichandran Ashwin chipped one to mid-off for 4. Shardul Thakur edged to slip for 4.
Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah added a few lusty blows. Shami made 8, Bumrah made 14. Mohammed Siraj was the last man out for 4.
India All Out: 447.
Let's adjust. The collapse happened after the big partnership. Let's set the final score at 445.
Final Scorecard (1st Innings):India: 445 All Out (130 Overs).
KL Rahul: 122
Aarav Pathak: 122
Mayank Aggarwal: 60
Virat Kohli: 47
Ajinkya Rahane: 36
South Africa Bowling: Lungi Ngidi: 6 wickets. Kagiso Rabada: 3 wickets. Marco Jansen: 1 wicket.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The transition from the flamboyant, rock-and-roll era of Ravi Shastri to the studious, understated intensity of Rahul Dravid was palpable in the changing room. There were no booming speeches about "smashing them." Instead, there was quiet precision.
As we prepared to take the field, Dravid walked around the room. He didn't high-five; he placed a reassuring hand on shoulders. He spoke in low tones about lengths, about patience, about the specific behavior of the Kookaburra ball after the 10th over.
For most of the team, this was a period of adjustment. They were used to Shastri's fire. Dravid was water calm, relentless, and deep.
But for me, it was like coming home.
I sat tightening my laces when I saw a pair of familiar shoes stop in front of me. I looked up. Rahul Dravid was smiling that rare, genuine smile I hadn't seen since the U-19 World Cup victory podium.
"Ready, Skipper?" Dravid asked, using the old nickname from our U-19 days.
I stood up, the respect instinctive. "Always, Coach. Just like Before in U19 days?"
"Better than 2018," Dravid corrected gently. "You bowled 135 back then. Now you bowl 155. But remember, Aarav... pace is the weapon, but line is the killer. Centurion tempts you to bowl short. Don't fall for it. Hit the top of off."
"Top of off," I repeated. "Got it."
He patted my arm. It was a small gesture, but in that touch lay a history of trust. He knew my game before the world knew my name. While the others were adapting to 'The Wall', I already had the blueprint.
We walked out to the middle. The sun was blazing now, baking the cracks that had appeared on the surface. Dean Elgar, the gritty, pugnacious captain of South Africa, walked out with Aiden Markram, the elegant right-hander.
Over 1: Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah started. His action, staccato and unique, generated awkward bounce immediately. He beat Elgar's outside edge twice. Maiden Over.
Over 2: Aarav Pathak.
I stood at the top of my run-up at the Pavilion End. The wind was blowing across the ground, carrying the scent of the Highveld grass.
I spun the ball in my hand. And then, it happened.
A strange sensation washed over me. It started in my ankles, traveled up my calves, and settled in my shoulders. It wasn't the 'Brett Lee Mechanics' I was used to. It felt... smoother. Whippy.
I did a shadow bowl. My arm came over faster, my wrist snapped with a violence that felt foreign yet intimately familiar. The run-up felt different—more rhythmic, like a predator stalking prey rather than a sprinter exploding.
What is this? I thought, confused. I've never played a Test here. Why does this turf feel like I've bowled on it for a lifetime?
I looked at the pitch. I looked at the grass banks. It felt like my territory.
Steyn. Of course. The Dale Steyn template. I had fully unlocked it. But standing here, in his backyard, at his fortress... the muscle memory was bleeding through. The 'Steyn Gun' was loading itself.
I smiled. A wicked, dangerous smile. I threw the ball up to Jassi at mid-off, catching it on the rebound. "Let's have some fun," I whispered.
Ball 2.1: Aiden Markram was on strike. I ran in. The action felt fluid, deadly. 149.4 kmph. I angled it into the pads, searching for the swing. Markram flicked it neatly to deep square leg. 1 Run.
Ball 2.2: Dean Elgar on strike. The fighter. The man who takes blows to the body and keeps standing. I walked back to my mark. Steyn would set him up. Push him back, then bring it forward. But I had a different plan. I had the variation.
I ran in. My arm speed was lightning fast. The crowd expected the 150kmph thunderbolt. At the last second, I dragged my fingers down the side of the ball. A cutter. But I bowled it with the scrambled seam.
133.2 kmph.
It was a significant drop in pace. Elgar was set for the express delivery. His front foot planted early. He pushed hard at the ball, expecting it to hit the bat instantly. The ball arrived late. It gripped the surface slightly and moved away. Elgar was through the shot too early. He couldn't check his hands.
Snick.
The sound was thick and satisfying. The ball flew at a comfortable height to the second slip. KL didn't have to move. He cupped his hands and swallowed it.
Dean Elgar c Rahul b Aarav 1 (2)South Africa: 1/1
I roared. I It was the roar of the Steyn archetype veins popping, eyes wild, punching the air.
Pommie Mbangwa (Comms): "GONE! He's nicked him off! Dean Elgar falls in the first over of Aarav Pathak! That is masterful bowling! He showed the 149kmph to Markram, and then slips in the cutter at 133 to the captain. Elgar was way too early on the drive. The deception was absolute."
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "That is intelligent cricket. We talk about his pace, but look at the brain. He knew Elgar plays with hard hands. He took the pace off just enough to find the edge. South Africa is rocked early!"
Hashim Amla (Comms): "The silence at SuperSport Park tells the story. Their captain is gone. Aarav Pathak looks... he looks like he belongs here. That action, the follow-through... there were shades of Dale Steyn in that delivery stride."
Ball 2.3:Keegan Petersen walked out. The new Number 3. I didn't give him a cutter. I gave him heat. 148 kmph. Beaten outside off. He survived the over.
Over 3: Bumrah kept the pressure on. One run.
Over 4: I was back. Aiden Markram was on strike. He is a class player, arguably one of their best current batsman. He looked solid. But the 'Steyn' feeling in my veins was demanding violence.
Top of off. Fast.
Ball 4.1: 147 kmph. Defended. Ball 4.2: 151 kmph. Beaten. Ball 4.3: 149 kmph. Leaving.
I was setting the rhythm. Markram was watching the swing. He was forgetting the pace.
Ball 4.4: I ran in. I put everything into the release. 155.6 kmph. It wasn't just fast; it was a laser. It pitched on a good length on the fourth stump line and jagged back in—the classic 'Steyn Remover'. Markram tried to defend. He did everything right technically. His head was over the ball. His bat was straight. But human reaction time has limits. The ball passed the inside edge before the bat could come down. It kissed the back pad and crashed into the off-stump.
CRACK.
The off-stump didn't just fall; it somersaulted out of the ground, landing near the wicketkeeper.
Aiden Markram b Aarav
I stood in the middle of the pitch, arms wide, the stump lying behind me.
Shaun Pollock (Comms): "Oh my word! That is a thunderbolt! 155 clicks! Aiden Markram has been cleaned up! He played down the line, but the ball was just too quick and did just enough off the seam. That is the perfect fast bowler's wicket. Look at the stumps! That is a mess!"
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "He is unplayable right now. First the guile to get Elgar, now the brute force to get Markram. India is all over South Africa like a rash. This isn't just a breakthrough; it's a statement."
After my initial burst of 5 overs (2 wickets for 14 runs), Virat rested me. "Save the legs," he said. "We have them."
He brought on Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the 12th over. And if I was the lightning, Shami was the landslide.
Shami found the upright seam. He landed the ball on a dime, making it talk. He trapped Keegan Petersen LBW. He bowled Rassie van der Dussen with a beauty that nipped away. He induced an edge from Quinton de Kock, which Pant caught diving to his left.
Wiaan Mulder? Clean bowled. Kagiso Rabada? Caught at slip.
Shami was in a trance. He picked up a Fifer (5 wickets) in a spell of absolute mastery.
I came back to clean up the tail. I bounced out Marco Jansen. I yorked Lungi Ngidi.
South Africa All Out.
Total Overs: 49.3 Score: 197.
Bowling Figures:
Mohammed Shami: 16-5-44-5
Aarav Pathak: 12.3-3-38-3
Jasprit Bumrah: 12-4-36-2
Mohammed Siraj: 9-1-40-0
India had a lead of 248 runs.
We walked off the field, the Centurion crowd stunned into silence. As we crossed the rope, Mohammed Shami held the ball up to the crowd. We surrounded him, ruffling his hair.
"5 wickets, Lala!" I shouted, hugging him. "You are a magician!" "Just hitting the deck, Aarav," Shami smiled humbly. "The pitch is doing the rest."
Rahul Dravid was waiting at the boundary. He shook Shami's hand firmly. Then he looked at me. "Top of off," Dravid smiled. "Worked, didn't it?" "Like a charm, Coach."
The dressing room was buzzing. 248 runs lead in the first innings at Centurion? It was unheard of. We sat down, peeling off our sweaty socks. Virat stood in the center, a banana in hand.
"We don't relax," Virat said, though he was beaming. "We have the lead. Now we bat them out of the game. We don't enforce the follow-on. We bat. We set them 450. And we win."
"But first," Rishabh Pant shouted from the ice bath. "Music! Shami bhai, play the song!"
The speakers blared. We celebrated the session dominance. It wasn't the wild party of the T20 World Cup. It was the satisfied, professional joy of a Test team that knew they were the best in the world.
I smiled. Job half done. The Final Frontier was crumbling.
DAY 3 Ended with this.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: - 4500+ Words
For More Future Chapters: -
My Patreon: -
https://www.patreon.com/c/Kynstra
thank you very much for all the support and donate power stones!!
DO Comment, anything just comments and Donate Power stone!!
If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Your feedback means so much. And feel free to comment on where you think the story should go next—I'd love to hear your thoughts on the future direction!