The target was 210. This was due to the complacency of Ali, and the overconfidence of Anirudh.
"It's okay." Said Shrivastav, trying to make Ali feel better. "Akib was smart enough to use our plan against us."
"You're right. But it was our fault for thinking Akib wouldn't let Anzal do what he wants." Said Ali. "Well, let's let bygones be bygones. We still have 20 more overs to salvage this game."
"No matter." Said Zayed. "I practiced only against spin for the last week. What's a few more overs?"
"Let's do this." Said Samuel. "For Manish."
Zayed and Samuel took their bats, wore their helmets, before walking onto the pitch. However, Kamlesh was waiting for them.
"A fast bowler?" Thought Ali.
Akib told something to Kamlesh. The thin but muscular Rajasthani was listening intently. He nodded.
"But Akib has more spinners than pace bowlers in his lineup.." Thought Ali. "What is he thinking?"
Zayed and Samuel faced the first 4 overs. Kamlesh bowled two of them, and the other two were bowled by Ishan. Both of them were fast bowlers. Luckily Samuel and Zayed were able to face them. They even got a few boundaries.
[ Samuel 12* (13) | Zayed 21* (13) | 33/0 ]
Not bad. 177 runs in 16 overs. Ashwandeep had adjusted to a change in plans.
The next over was to be bowled by Mahit. He looked at Zayed standing at the crease before telling him, "You planned against spin so much, right? Let's see if you can actually face it."
"Don't worry about us." Countered Zayed. "Bowl your first over."
"Get ready to walk back to the dugout." Said Mahit.
Zayed ignored him. He would let his batting do the talking.
Samuel faced the first ball of his over. It was a leg spinner. He swept his bat, sending the ball racing for a four.
The second ball was a top spinner. Samuel defended it, but it deflected from the top of his bat, before nearing hitting the wicket.
The next three balls were merely singles. They did not want to risk it.
Zayed faced the last ball of Mahit's over. The ball was slower, but veered a bit to the left. Zayed punched the ball away, but it was near Millind, who stretched his hand out, trying to pluck or hit the ball up into the air.
Instead it bounced once, before touching the boundary line.
A four.
Zayed smirked.
"Not bad." Said Mahit. "But you still have 3 of my overs to face."
"I'll face them all unscathed." Declared Zayed before pointing his bat at Mahit.
"Let's see if you will live up to that." Countered Mahit.
[ Samuel 18* (17) | Zayed 26* (15) | 44/0 ]
The last over of the power play was taken care of by Adarsh. He slowed the run rate down by his good line and length.
[ Samuel 21* (20) | Zayed 29* (18) | 50/0 ]
After the end of the powerplay, only spin was bowled. Millind,Adarsh ,Mahit and Adarsh again. Not a single over of pace.
Zayed struggled initially, but gradually got adjusted to it by analyzing the patterns. Samuel and Zayed now switched roles, with Zayed acting as an anchor while Samuel now began aggressively attacking every ball bowled to him.
[ Samuel 43* (32) | Zayed 39* (30) | 82/0 ]
Millind was to bowl the eleventh over. He rolled the ball in his hands, while thinking to ways to control this sudden onslaught of runs.
"I have to clean the mess these idiots made, or else my future will crash like those towers." Thought Millind.
He called for field changes, while Akib also did the same. Excellence needed a wicket here, or else the game would fall completely into Ashwandeep's hands.
Ashwandeep needed 122 runs in 60 balls. They would definitely start lofting as much as possible.
Millind ran forward, bowling his first ball. It was a very slow googly. Samuel pulled his hands backward, before sending the ball into the boundary. Six.
Millind then threw the next ball, a high top spinner. Samuel read it again. He calmly swept the bat, in a reflexive motion, leading to a four.
The third ball was simply swatted to the side, and Samuel walked to the other side of the crease, taking a single.
Samuel then, suddenly saw the scoreboard. He had scored a half century. He celebrated by putting his bat on his shoulder.
[ Samuel 54* (35) | Zayed 39* (30) | 93/0 ]
Millind then bowled the fourth ball, which Zayed tried to block, but the ball edged the bat, before reaching the safe hands of Prashanth.
Millind jumped into the air, celebrating the wicket.
Zayed was out. He failed to read the ball, and was hence aptly punished.
"All that practice, for no centuries." Thought Zayed. "It's fine. I contributed at least."
Mahit saw him walking away to the dugout, and said, "You're not too bad. Too bad I couldn't collect your wicket myself."
Zayed thanked him, and walked back to the dugout.
Ali saw this, and wore his gear. He planned on using the abilities of his system to the max. He had to hit as much boundaries as possible, or this wouldn't be as easy for the lower order batsmen.
Ali got ready, and walked over to the batting side of the pitch, before entering a attacking stance.
"The leader of the bougie crowd is now here." Quipped Millind. "Let's see if he's good enough."
Ali ignored him, and Millind ran forward to bowl the fifth ball of his over. It was a slower top spin ball, which Ali guided to the boundary for a four.
Millind raged. Now there were two spin hitters on the pitch! Maybe he shouldn't have taken Zayed's wicket.
The last ball was fast and sudden. But something clicked in Ali. He felt like he could see the trajectory of the ball. It was like he was AB de Villers. Hundreds of different shots ran through his mind, before he picked the perfect shot to counter the ball.
Ali whipped the ball in into the boundary. Six. A frustrated Millind screamed in anger.
[ Samuel 54* (35) | Ali 10* (2) | 103/1 ]
Anzal laughed, seeing the frustration of Millind. He was happy to see his nemesis get angrier and angrier.
Akib came over to Millind to calm him down, but Millind went back to his fielding spot and Akib had to choose the next bowler.
He chose..
TO BE CONTINUED
Ps: if you like what you are reading so far, why not add the book into your collection?