Unforgettable!

I lived in an apartment complex for many years and had many friends almost in the same age group. While in the annual vacation, we participated as a team in a cricket tournament and reached semifinals for the first time. It was a flood light tournament and the ground was just opposite to our complex. That day, we won the toss and asked the opponent team [our arch rivals] to bat.

It was a 12 overs match and they were scoring decently up to a point and started hammering us. Our best bowler was hit for 3 sixes in an over and we all felt like drowning. Soon, we went to bat, with the asking rate of 7.5 per over. We started well, but soon lost wickets and hope and were glaring the defeat when the eighth batsman came to the crease. I was at the other end and we needed to score more than 10 per over then.

To my surprise, he batted like Sehwag and smashed three fours in the first four balls. I've never seen him bat like that. "Charged perhaps!", I thought. And he was furiously calculating the remaining balls and runs and started hitting cleanly. I was trying to give him the strike. Came the last over. There was a visible tension everywhere and I was shaking a lot. 10 runs were required. He slammed a four and took a single, making it 5 in 4 balls required. I swung and missed, but ran to the other side. Now only 4 runs were required. I didn't know what happened then, but there was a duel between him and the bowler. Before I realized, I heard a thud. The next moment, I was gaping at a dusky mob which was growing in size, moving towards our complex.

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice. It was my mom and I could see the outline of her near the gate. She was blocked to go further, as there was chaos everywhere. It was a bitter fight where our team and people were involved with the others. As I ran from the ground to reach her, I saw my teammate [the batsman] bleeding. He had been hit in the knee and was limping. Soon, everybody left and there was a silence. Broken stumps and sticks remained. The result was announced the next day that we lost. I saw him after two days, bandaged and asked him why he was beaten. He smiled weakly and said, "I don't know what got into me, but it was me who banged him with my bat first!".

I was too stunned while he added: "4 runs in 3 balls! Easy match you know?"

Added later:

Quite often we don't realize
How close we were to the target.
We give up or just act crazy
To lose it ending in deep regret.

It is not the moment when you start,
That needs attention and caution.
Your vigil should never be short
As you reach there without tension.

All good things said and done
Can go in vain in a minute
If you lose yourself just once.
By then you would be finished.

Beware! Its easy to allow yourself
To go astray and create havoc.
Though hard, you should check yourself
And pursue your goal! Good luck!

 

Thanks for your fast feedback PadmaTVT and yes, what you said is right too. He appeared cool and calculative to me till then. I did not know what turned him on then. The consequence - How many people got injured after that? The trauma was even too big. -rgs

 

Thanks a lot Anita. And thanks for bringing this to the nomination too. -rgs