In the SUPER SIX tournament, a new system was introduced. Our normal entry fees was
Rs 80/-.But the twist was,any team who lost their 1st match,could also enter again in the
tournament by giving Rs 100/- extra. Many teams re-entered the tournament and thats
why the 1st round of our tournament went for a bit longer than I had assumed it would
actually last.Thats why, I had to wait 4 a long tym for the second round match to commence.
Our next match was on Sunday,3:30 pm.But u know when the match started,5:00 pm (strictly according to the IST!!!!!!hihi).This tym it was 3rd year. This tym we were not that nervous as the previous night..but there was bit of nervousness I must admit.This tym they won the toss n decided 2 bat.I was given the first over as usual.My 1st ball was on target,n the batsmen was clean bowled.WOW!!!!!! a perfect beginning....i said.I must say this that the opposition this tym was a" LAPPU"one.They were not even able to capitalize on the loose deliveries.They were allout for 13!!!!!Can u believe it. We were pretty sure that our openers would do the job for us.But no...That Rajat,trying 2 be overambitious,deposited the ball on the top of the roof ,the first delivery.Then our captain came 2 the crease.Jaganath also dissapointed,went for just 2.But after these two hicupps,I and Abhinandan made sure that we won comfortably again. After the match, we were quite happy with our bowling but a bit dissapointed with our opening pair.
Then it was the QUARTER-FINALS..This tym,it was 4th year.Irrespective of that we
were confident.Fortunately or unfotunately, we won the toss.We chose to bat.A huge due was on Rajat 2 score some runs for the team.He obliged 2 it fully,scored 17 runs of the first over!!Just when 1 would had thought that we had finally got a perfect beginning,Rajat hit one out of the park n got dismissed.It was amazing to see that,he was not gettin out due 2 the brilliance of the bowlers,but due his sheer foolishness. Then Abhinandan went, smashed 2 quick boundaries,but then the same rubbish,being overambitious,scooping the ball in the air,and getting caught..oh it was such a discouraging sight.Then it was my turn,I and Jaganath talked 2 each othr that,we can stay in the game only if we have runs on the board.We played sensibly in singles and doubles,and piled up 34/2 in 4 overs.Then I decided it was SLOG-TIME. Next over, I hit the first ball for a six .I was happy that everything was going according to the plan.But then, the next ball trying to take a quick single,I was runout.I was feeling lyk slapping
myself..after having done all the hard work,I threw it away.All my team members appreciated my effort,but Iwas not at all impressed by myself.Then came my hero,Aditya.He also had got the liscence to launch himself freely.That is what exactly he did.In the last 9 or 10 deliveries he tuk the score to 68.We were all hugging each other like we had won the match,as we had a lot of confidence on our bowling.And the 2nd innings went exactly as I thought. The opposition team was allout for 21. I must say ,all of our bowlers were tremendously responding in every match.
SEMI-FINALS was scheduled at 10:30.That night I had my dinner in the hostel
itself.The semi-final match was my PERSONAL BEST one.We were opposed by a 3rd-yr
team.They were a brilliant team.I had seen them play.Their bowlers were damn accurate.I
was sure that our batting would again come under the hammer.They won the toss,and as
to my fear,they chose to bowl.1st innings started.First tym I saw Rajat struggling, to
some brilliant bowling.He finally gave his wicket away trying to be over- attacking(usual
for him).Then, i dont know how to describe rest ofour batting per4mance.Abhinandan
went for a golden duck,Jaganath and even Aditya went cheaply.Then me and Bibhu were
the only pair left.At the tym i came to the crease ,our team score had not even gone past
double digit score.I must admit ,that was the most nervous moment of the series till
then.Bibhu was a pure bowler,so I had 2 do everything,preserve the wickets and at the
same tym score runs.Both of us started two play sensibly. I must admit that all the initial
deliveries I faced,none were finding the mid of my bat.Then slowly but surely,we tuk the
score to 28.The last over began.I was facing a senior named Mithilesh,he was the most
dangerous bowler of the lot.Then I decided to take a risk b'coz with 28 runs I knew we
could achieve nothing.It paid off,first ball was a full toss and dissappeared for a
six.Then he bowled a beauty and I safely defended it.Then I again gave him the charge,
and struck a boundary.In the last two deliveries left,there ws no other option left for me
than 2 attack again. I did attack but failed this tym and got dismissed.Our team was
dismissed for 38 runs...our lowest score in the tournament till then.But as they say,cricket is all about momentum,my last outburst inspired my team and we were ready for the challenge of defending this cheap score.
2nd innings started.Our captain had heard the opening pair discussing that how they were planning to go about this chase.Ha said that,they were aiming to preserve their wickets and score later.So he gave the suggestion to attack 4m the word go!!Frankly speaking,I was enjoying this challenge as I was clear in my head what 2 do--JUST ATTACK!! In the 1st over, I tried to keep things simple,just was bowling line and length.It was a maiden over.From their batting approach,it was clear that our captain was right.They were
defending everything.Even the 2nd over bowled by Bibhu,was a frugal one.They had all
wickets intact but their score was only 2 after 2 overs.Then came the turning point of
the match.They were bit nervous after their very slow start,so when I bowled the 3rd
over, they attacked me 4m the 1st ball,it was a boundary.Then I understood what was
best to do at that instant, 2 vary my pace.I bowled a delivery with subtle change in pace,
the batsmen played early, and was bowled.Then a new batsman came.From the cheers of
the opposition team it seemed that he was the best batsman and the entire team was
dependant on him.I wanted 2 surprise him 4m the 1st ball itself and bowled a delivery as
fast as I could.Fortunately it was right up there, he was clean bowled.My happiness had
no bounds.We were rejoicing lyk anything.My intuition was correct. After him none of
the batsmen were able to handle our bowlers specially fast bowlers like Aditya. Even
scoring a humble score like 38,we won the match by 20 runs..WOWWW!!!
Now it was the FFFFFFFINALSSSSSSSSS!!!! A hugely anticipated one..i must say.On
one side was a final year team,which had gone to the finals of the SUPER SIX for the
past 3 years,but had never won.So one can imagine how hungry they must be to win in
their last year.This was their last chance.So we had to face their fury and frustation
both.It was announced in the hall building about the final encounter.I was amazed to see
the number of final year students assembled there.So u would have now imagined the
amount of support that was there with the final year team.All those shouts were making
the adernalin in us to rush much faster.Everything was setting up for a fiersome battle,I
could just feel it within me.
The battle began.They won the toss and chose to bat.One of their opener named Avdesh
is a NIT team player.We were aware of this fact.I was given tha ball.I started
proceedings.My first ball was a dot ball.It seemed that I had done a horrendous mistake
,b'coz then I was greeted with a complete dictionary of slangs and foul languages.huuuuuuhhh!!!!!!Then Avdesh took me to carnage.He scored 17 runs of my first
over.This was my most expensive over in that tournament till then. But the sabotage took
its toll when Avdesh hit Bibhu for 20 runs in the 2nd over.He was simply killing us with
utter disdain.Then ,I had to bowl the 3rd over.Thankfully it was the other batsman on
strike.I stuck to my concept -When in danger ,switch to pace variations.The batsman was
completely beaten by me,Abhinandan(our keeper) had a shy at the stumps,it hit the
stumps but the bails were not dislodged.Then I fully understood where our fortune was
going,completely in the wrong direction.That over bowled by me was comparatively a
economical one.But but but,Avdesh over compensated my economical bowling by over
hitting Aditya on numerous occasions. Goodness me..he was simply destroying us. And the
discouragement of the audiences was like adding insult to injury.Avdesh completed his
half-century and I am damn sure that it was a very quick one.It was quite a
situation.Every bowler was going to ball, getting treated like hell at the hands of
Avdesh,returning back to their fielding positions,just like we were mechanical tools at
the hands of that Devil Avdesh.We all were quite helpless.They amassed a score of 93 in
their alloted 6 overs,much much more than our expectation and anticipation.We were
dissapointed but still had hopes b'coz half of the battle was still to be fought.
Can't say about anyone else,but I myself was very nervous at that instant.So many things
were going inside my mind.Our batting had faultered most of the times we had gone to
bat.It was our bowling that won most of our matches.But this time even our bowling was
below average.I went to Rajat and said to him to play his natural innings b'coz only an
attacking or quickfire 30 or 40 can give some hopes of victory.Rajat and our captain
Abhinandan were due of a great innings and it was the need of the hour too.2nd innings
started.Rajat and Jaganath opened our batting as usual.No one could predict what Rajat
was going to do.But what I saw was first two deliveries dissappeared for 6 and an 8. The
1st over fetched us 24 runs,just what the doctor ordered for us.Jaganath was playing
sensibly,was wasting no time, and giving strike to Rajat.And what to say about Rajat,he
was in a different zone.I thought he was competing with the innings of Avdesh.I had no
complains,I was pretty enjoying it.All the oppositions players and audience were
dumbfounded seeing what was going on.They were watching the gameplay with their eyes
and mouth wide open.I felt like inserting the cricket balls deep inside their
mouths...idiots!!! Meanwhile Jaganath was dismissed in the 3rd over.Then came our
captain Abhinandan. I was praying that he clicks in that match.The first ball he played
was a defensive one.Then what,he started timing the ball like he had 2 hours of net
session before his innings!!Now,the flood gates were opened from both the sides. Rajat
was watching the ball like a football, and in the other end Abhi was beating the bowlers all ends up. In three overs our team reached a score of 58.This was much more than what
I expected.In the 4th over Rajat completed his half-century.But he was not yet done,he
hit a six the next ball.He was going crazy!!!!!But unfortunately the next ball,he was
bowled.He came like a lightening and went like a thunder not before playing a memorable
innings.Then came Aditya.In the remaining two overs,23 runs were required.This match
was bound to go to the wire.But seeing Abhi it seemed that he was in a hurry to finish
that game.He continued to attack and executed his shots perfectly.That over he hit two
boundaries and a six.We were also hepled in our cause by an extra.So the final equation
was-6 balls,9 runs.....and Aditya was on strike.Aditya knew only one mode of batting
that is to attack,and he stuck to that.He launched the 1st ball of the last over for a
six.All of the team mates jumped with joy as we were smelling victory.The next
ball,Aditya again scooped the ball.That shot was quite arial,but it had enough legs on it to
reach the boundary line.BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We had won the match .
It was simply an unbelievable moment.It might sound a bit funny, but I thought I have
made a substantial achievement.All of our team mates were busy hugging each other.We
were so happy.For the 1st time,a 1st year team had won the SUPER-SIX.Many seniors,
4m the audiences and opposition team came to shake hands with us and to congratulate
us.There faces were worth seeing,completely pale out of disbelief.That gave me an added
pleasure.It is worth mentioning that the organiser of the competition , Dipesh
Rath,mentioned my name for my Semi-final performance.It felt great to be noticed
among others.We were promised a lot of prizes, but ,got just a cricket bat and ball,rest
of the money was swallowed by the seniors.But the SUPER-SIX would be remembered by
me ever because of the team spirit with which we played.It had a lot of consequences.It
made me believe in my cricket abilities.Speaking of consequences,an instant one was that
i bunked the 1st half of the college,the next day,having dreams of victory of much
greater magnitude..................
