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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Chak De Team 11 !!!!!

The D-Day arrived. 29th June - The day I had been waiting for the last two weeks ever since we confirmed our participation in the Ashok Nagar Cup. For the first time, we assembled at the ground on time after a refreshing cup of coffee. The opponent team delayed the proceedings and if one had to go by the rules, they had to walkover but we were kind enough to accept their lame excuses for the delay. They looked professionals, clad in yellow-black jerseys unlike us and I wondered if we have to toil very hard to earn a win but as they say, looks are very deceptive and it was more or less a cakewalk for us.

After some serious discussions, I opted to bowl after winning the toss. The start I gave with the ball was just perfect. After conceeding just 2 runs off the first three balls, the fourth one was of a shorter length and I was successful in deceiving the batsman and he scooped a dolly to the fielder at short mid-off. Team 11 draws first blood : ) . The over that followed, the one by Monish was bang on target and he was just too good in maintaining balls at good length. Shriram and Bharath continued from where we left. Shriram was in his element but it was pleasing to see Bharath bowl so very well after some tough matches last week. He was superb.

Occasional misfields helped in their recovery. But for them, our ground fielding and catching were not all that bad. To be frank, I was surprised to see the ball get into my hands after it was hit high in the air. To get you a clear picture, I was standing at mid-on (my regular position where I love fielding just because it enables conversation with my bowlers easy and frequent) and the moment I heard Shriram and a few other players say ' Rajesh, that's for you ', and with all players tilting their eyes toward me, my pulse rates soared. I'm good at grabbing flat ones but I confess, these 'high-in-the-air' catches really tense me. Just like adding salt to the existing wound, Bharath joined me in the search for the wicket. Though I knew he was running towards me, my focus was only on the ball and I never bothered to communicate to him. The ball finally bounced on my palms, jumped out, kissed the air above my fingers and landed back to the place where it is always safe - my palms. : D : D and I quickly pocketed the ball to make things safer : )

Wickets fell at regular intervals. At one stage, they were 31 for the loss of 6 wickets at the end of 7 overs after both Bharath and Shriram missed out on a well-deserved hat-trick. I still wonder if we bowled exceptionally well or if their batting looked out of sorts. Monish and I finished things off bowling the last two overs in tandem. I bowled the last over and to my utmost satisfaction, the first ball was straight through the gate, the batsman failing to connect the ball with his bat playing across the line. Uprooting the stumps is the the best feeling for any fast bowler and that too at the dearth. Though I didn't get too expressive, I could hear people appreciating me and a peculiar voice caught my attention shouting ' Come on da...well bowled' (as I was walking back to my run up). It was Durga - he should have had the best view from square leg and it's indeed a special feeling. The ball that followed was a flat hit to covers and Kaushik, I knew, would never drop such easy ones and he rightly justified with his safe pair of hands. Incidentally, I had changed the field just before that delivery by moving him from deep cover to cover.. Thank God!!!. I was on-a-hat trick but this time we didn't miss it. Once again Kaushik got into the act, fielded smartly at covers and I was successful in gathering the ball, pounced on the stumps and screamed ' Howzzzzaaat '. Run Out!!!. A team hat-trick after all...!!!

They were bundled out for a cheap 37 and after some initial hiccups, we finished things off in 6 overs. It is always a special feeling to captain a winning side and I take this opportunity to congratulate my team-mates on this convincing victory. I must admit that the practice sessions we had last week really helped. Overall, a satisfactory performance and with God's blessings, we hope to continue the same to the next match on 5th July.

15 comments:

Fantasies of a Lifetime said...

congrats on the win and the hat trick :D. . .and good luck for the next match

Rajesh said...

@ VishnuPriya
Thanks..hope we put up a good show..

arunima said...

wow! seems like ur a really great player....
its kinda nice to read a first hand narrative of a player!!
congrats n best of luck for d mtahces to come!!

Rajesh said...

@ Arunima
Thanks...not a great player...maybe the opponents were weak as I had mentioned in the article... : D

Jahnabi Roy said...

congrats on the win...n a relly nice narrative...

Shoona Etah said...

Hey rajesh!!
It looks like you are a multi dimensional man.. Cricket.. songs..thoughtful quotes.. what not.. I had a mix of everything on your blog. I must say.. you are doing a good job!! :)
I also checked your profile- beside your liking towards some movies which happens to my fav. too.. you are also a picses.. No wonder.. you are blogger!! :)
Keep up your spirit high..
tc

Rajesh said...

@ Sana
Thanks a lot...jus lik how i admire ur blogging, u seem to admire my style...feels great,...thanks a lot

@everything burns
Thanks a lot...all the best..

Unknown said...

congrats on the win.. :)
am sure you would have been mighttyy thrilled and happy after getting that catch.. and then going on to winning the game..

keep up the spirits for the next match.. all the best for that one..

Solitaire said...

Great! Good luck for the next one.

Thanks for stopping by Warm Fuzzies.

Come check Short and Sweet out.
Its fun and frolic out there.

Rajesh said...

@ Ani
Thanks a lot..hope we emerge winners

@ Solitaire
Thanks..On my way to Short and Sweet :)

The Solitary Writer said...

hey yes its nice to captain a team which is in a winning stream....

i have been at the recieving end many times...

i remember we played the uni trophy at district level...i was my college captain and even i did the same like u

i am an allrounder

it was a 10 over match and till over 9 everything was fine ., there was a restriction that only 2 overs shud be bowled by bowlers ...i used all my bowlers and finally i decided to bwol the la st over .....which was a real havoc...


5 sixes of the first five bowls and 4 on last...

my performance was bad that day

imagine they made 139 in 10 overs with just 3 wickets being lost...

we made a firy start ,but once our opening partnership collapsed...then we sucumbed to pressure and game was over for us...

we were bowled out for 89 and imagine it was a semifinal match and we were the defending champions as well...

coz of that i even lost my captainship and now i am a normal playerwho opens innings for my college team :(

any way best of luck for ur 5th july game
u wud win it :)

btw u have been tagged

do complete ur t ag

check my blog

http://diablolord.blogspot.com

The Solitary Writer said...

hey brother

i redirected my old blog to this new link


change it in ur blogroll :)

http://thesolitarywriter.blogspot.com

Rajesh said...

@ Steph

Ya...done.

Anonymous said...

great choice of words da..

enroll 2 become a journalist wid sportstar or sumthin(if u goof up ur GATE that is)

am proud 2 say i was part of tht match..

undoubtedly rajesh is a very good player an captain..

Rajesh said...

@ Durga

Journalist at Sportstar??? wow!!! hope u really mean wat u say...well gr8 to get such appreciations.. thanks...thanks 4 that last line.. really means a lot 2 me