Crushing loss and a scraped win

Some of us looked forward to that particular weekend as a special one. After long, we had planned to play a cricket match – weather was on our side and so all of us reached ground at time to start off the much awaited game.

In the excitement of playing, we made a mistake that seems a blunder when looked in hindsight – we kept the match to be of 20 overs – and even forgot the fact that we were playing at 5000 plus feet above sea level. And as luck would have it, we lost the toss and opposition chose to bat first.

At the beginning things went well – until one of the opposition team member decided to take us all to the cleaners. Suddenly all our bowlers started looking like kids playing against a high class professional athlete. Catches dropped, balls went through – shots that would fetch just a single, started getting two and threes. The trouble of playing after long break – is that your body is usually a couple of steps behind. Dives to stop or catch the ball came usually late by a few seconds, legs went forward and torso seems crawling behind, scratchily. On top of that, there is a lot of frustration from everyone, because when you are on ground, nobody wants to lose, or nobody wants to lose like that.  All of that lead to chaos – after a couple of failed attempts to control that chaos, and bring the team back – I did what seemed like the only available option at that time. We waited for it to get over. The opposition batsman, who dented us the most, was considered to be better than us – and he batted as if he knew that well. In penultimate over of the innings he hit me over my head for six with complete disgust – gulping down I delivered another ball – only to see it being sent for another boundary. The next ball went in air again, and to our great relief the catch was taken this time. He scored a century, before getting out and probably batted us out of the game.

We were set a target to chase 203 runs in our 20 overs – a tough ask by any standard. Our innings started and soon it was falling apart like pack of cards.  Fresh bowlers of opposition, looked far more threatening than they actually were – against our dilapidated batting line up. To make matters worse, the outfield was very slow – square cuts through ground that would fetch an easy boundary on any good ground, would only get you two if you ran hard. Realizing this, I tried to be too cheeky too soon and attempted a Dil-Scoop, only to miss the ball and get bowled in a funny looking fashion.

The rude reminder of the fact that body was not backing up what mind so desperately wanted was not pleasant. We lost the game, and some of our players left ground, dejected at the loss which they would soon forget.

Those who were there, thought to give it one more shot, though this time for only 10 overs. We started another match – and this time we won the toss and chose batting first. I opened with the fastest runner on our team, and we ran many doubles. He was a great athlete and a pushy partner when it came to take doubles. Had it not been his insistent Dhoni-like running, we would have only had half the runs we made in our partnership.  After a stable start without losing a wicket in first five overs– we had our share of power hitters who helped reaching the score to 58 in our ten overs. At best – looking at their batting line up, this was a modest total.

On taking the field we were determined to give our best to defend that total. 4 regular bowlers left us to squeeze two overs from somewhere and luckily one of the part time bowlers stepped up.

Our regular bowlers started decently – and finished their overs quickly. In last two overs – they needed 16 runs and we had two overs, one from a part timer and one from me. I tossed the ball to the part timer and he bowled us an amazing overs just conceding 6 runs, with no extras. When they needed 10 in final over – and centurion of the first innings at crease, they seemed very confidently placed.  To be honest – I thought of the part timer to be better bowler than me, but just the fact that I had slightly higher confidence and match awareness, made me consider myself as a bowler on that team. When taking that last over, I was touch nervous. We had 10 runs to defend, 4 more than what I had expected to be defending in last over, so suddenly victory seemed within reach!

First 2 balls, the batsman could not connect – third one where he connected went upwards and not far enough. Wicketkeeper dropped the skier, and the batsman did not run. Of course he was still backing himself to get 10 in final 3. Beneath a veneer of a heavily built body, I could finally see some panic. “Pressure gets to most of us.” I told the umpire before 4^th ball which again got an outside edge that dropped before the keeper. Now, if they wanted to win, he had to hit a six and a four at least – fifth ball went on ground and they did not run. All I had to do now was to bowl a legal delivery and we would win! All team members suggested to be careful and not to deliver a wide or no-ball, I delivered a low full toss that went for a four.

After a crushing defeat – this hard fought win came as a great relief. It restored the single most important factor in success, self-belief for all of us. It was like being in love again after a bad break up, makes one feel alive again whenever remembered.