That day I came home late, I was lost in my own thoughts. Never before had I achieved something that humongous on the cricket field, when I scored a not out double ton to lead my team to victory from the jaws of defeat a decade ago to this date in an unlimited overs cricket match. As I came back home I sat down, I relaxed a bit and then I called my best friend who is rather placid but even he was like, “Man, incredible stuff… That too while chasing? Makes it extra special for you and the team. I’ll come to your home tomorrow, tell me in brief then.” his excitement narrated a story of its own. Idly I went ahead with my dinner but as you may expect I was lost in my own world and I was smiling in myself as I was recalling my own inning. I was deftly able to pick up the length in a way I hadn’t done before that. At 15 I was still learning at that time and in terms of technique though I was said to be sound enough by my friends and my sports teachers, I still knew my weaknesses but most importantly knew my strengths and I focused on my strength alone. I felt lull at that time in a way that I was very secure as I went about business with my team chasing around 400 runs to win the match and I was going to bat at no.5 and hence I had enough time to understand the pitch and it’s behaviour by observing the way openers batted and I had a feeling this game won’t be easy to win.

I sometimes felt the ease with which our openers were batting was misgiving, that the pitch wasn’t as easy as they were making it look like. They both were strenuous and the efforts were clearly visible. An above century stand for the first wicket was what the doctor ordered and as we were at ease, the twist came from there as we lost back to back 3 wickets in matter of 40 odd runs and were reduced to around 150/3 with still requiring well above 200 runs to win the match. At the fall of 3rd wicket I came out to bat and as I was taking my own time to pad up and go out to bat my teacher was brooding with anger and sadness that why on earth were we unable to capitalize on the golden opportunity that the openers had given us, chasing more than 400 was already an uphill task and add to that we hot hundred + opening stand but nearly threw that all away, I too felt terrible but knew I had to be the man. I knew I had an uphill task in front of me but most importantly I also knew I had what it took to get the job done. If I remember correctly we needed another 280 runs to win the match. The moment I entered the field I heard the opponent team quip about our chances and that we were losing our grip on the match, at that moment rather than focusing on their comments I decided to focus on the match as we still were in deep waters.

I and my partner we stitched together a partnership over 50 runs and then my partner fell to a good length ball and I was joined by the number 6 batsman and again we both stitched together a partnership above 50 and he got out soon after that. We now were requiring another 160 runs to win the match with half our side back in the hut and I was there batting on 80 runs, well set and had understood the wicket very well but the worry for both me and the team was that we were regularly losing wickets and 2 more quick wickets would have sealed the deal in favour of the opponents and as I write I remember how my worst fear came true and in matter of next 30 runs we lost 2 more wickets and though I had just reached my century by that time, celebrating my personal milestone was the last thing in my mind as my team was in serious jeopardy and we slowly were moving towards a certain defeat.

With 130 more runs needed and just 3 wickets in hand I decided I will keep most of the strike moving ahead and that I will try and expose our tail as less as possible in front of the opponents while that was only one part of the plan, the most important and the other half of the plan was to score runs from the other end which would put the pressure right back on the opponents who I believed if put under pressure would make mistakes and our plan, it worked wonders as we added another 70 runs to the team total without losing any further wicket and by this time I was well above my personal landmark of 150 runs and though recalling that moment gives me immense joy right now but back then standing there celebration was the last thing in my mind given we were still under some serious pressure and it got worse as the very next over we lost our 8th wicket with another 56 runs required for Victory and 2 wickets remaining. The good thing for us was that I was still standing there unbeaten but then the bad news was that we only had 2 more wickets remaining and we were in trouble as another wicket could have been the final nail in the coffin for us and our chances in that match.

The next batsman joined me in the middle and we started playing with caution. I mostly kept the strike with myself and did not expose my partner in front of opponent bowlers unless it got mandatory. We added 50 runs for the 9th wicket. We survived and kept surviving and then the inevitable happened and with another 10 runs needed to win the match we lost our 9th wicket and I got worried as there were 4 more balls remaining in that over and I wasn’t sure if my partner who had just arrived batting at no.10 would he be able to survive or not. I went straight to him and told him how to handle that bowler as I had already played too many of his deliveries and was batting on 197 runs at that point in time. He somehow managed to survive that entire over and after that I finished the job in very next over knowing that I could not afford to take this game any deeper as just one wicket is remaining and any time anybody could get out hence scoring the remaining 10 runs as quickly as possible was the only priority for me and I knew it’s up to me as I have spent the most number of time at the wicket and if anybody will take the calculative risk it would be me and that is exactly what I did. Although the circumstances were parlous but I knew I was plenipotentiary enough to get the job done. In that process I scored double century and though I was over the moon for my personal milestone (More now compared to back then) my greatest pleasure was in knowing that we have won the match from the jaws of defeat and that I had stayed right till the final ball and helped my team in order to win the match. Honestly nothing else can match that feeling. I feel grateful and I’m blessed. Surely, if it is to be it always is up to me.