The PCA Stadium in Mohali was still echoing with the chants of "Deva! Deva!" when the team management made a strategic call. The series was won. 4-0. An unassailable lead against the World Champions.
In the team hotel in Hyderabad, Gary Kirsten and MS Dhoni sat Siddanth down.
"You're resting, Sid," Dhoni said, peeling an orange. "The next two games. We need to test the bench. Virat moves up to Number 3. Jadeja comes in for you at Number 7."
Siddanth nodded. "No problem, Mahi-bhai. I'll be the best waterboy you've ever had."
So, the "Devil" traded his bat for a bib, and the spotlight shifted to the Prince of Delhi, Virat Kohli, and the rockstar from Saurashtra, Ravindra Jadeja.
5th ODI
Date: November 5, 2009.
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
Series Status: India leads 4-0.
Pre-Match Studio Analysis
Ravi Shastri: "Welcome to the City of Pearls! The series is sealed, but the hunger remains. The big news is that the 'Devil', Siddanth Deva, has been rested. A well-deserved break for the man who destroyed Australia single-handedly. But this opens the door. Virat Kohli gets the coveted Number 3 spot, and Ravindra Jadeja comes into the side."
Sunil Gavaskar: "It's a massive test for Virat. Can he fill Deva's shoes? Deva has been scoring centuries and taking wickets. Virat is a pure batsman. He needs to score big today. And Australia... well, they are playing for pride. Ponting looks angry."
---
Ponting flipped the coin. Heads.
Ponting: "We'll bat. It's a road. We need to score 350 to put pressure on this Indian lineup."
Dhoni: "Happy to chase. The boys are confident."
1st Innings
Australia came out swinging. Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh dismantled the Indian bowling.
Watson smashed 93 off 89 balls.
Shaun Marsh played a classic, anchoring innings, scoring 112 off 112 balls.
Ricky Ponting (45) and Cameron White (57 off 33) provided the late fireworks.
Australia finished on 350/4.
It was a mammoth total. The highest of the series.
Commentary (Mid-Innings):
Tony Greig: "350! The Aussies have finally woken up! Without Deva's heavy ball in the death overs, India leaked 100 runs in the last 10. This is a mountain to climb. Sachin Tendulkar will need to play the innings of his life."
2nd Innings
Target: 351.
Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar walked out.
Sehwag started in fifth gear, smashing 38 off 30 balls, but fell to Ben Hilfenhaus.
India: 66/1 (9 Overs).
Virat Kohli walked out at Number 3.
The pressure was immense. Chasing 350. Deva was watching from the dugout.
Kohli met Sachin.
"Virat, wicket is good," Sachin said, his eyes focused. "Just stay with me."
What followed was a passing of the torch, witnessed by 40,000 people.
Sachin Tendulkar was in "God Mode." He was driving, pulling, and paddling.
Virat Kohli, usually aggressive, played the perfect foil. He rotated the strike, ran hard twos, and punished the loose balls.
They added 137 runs for the second wicket.
Commentary (Over 26):
25.1: Bolinger to Kohli. Short ball. Kohli rolls his wrists. Pull shot for FOUR.
25.2: Kohli steps out. Drive through covers. FOUR.
Shastri: "He is grabbing this opportunity with both hands! Virat Kohli is showing that he belongs at Number 3!"
Kohli reached his 50 off 48 balls.
But at 64, trying to clear mid-off against Clint McKay, he mistimed it.
WICKET: V. Kohli c Hauritz b McKay 64.
India: 203/2.
---
Yuvraj Singh fell cheaply. Dhoni scored a brisk 30 but got out.
India: 290/5.
Sachin was still there. He was batting like a dream. 150. 160. 170.
But on 175, tragedy struck.
He tried to paddle scoop Clint McKay. Fine leg was up. But the ball took the edge and flew to Nathan Hauritz at short fine leg.
WICKET: S. Tendulkar c Hauritz b McKay 175.
India: 332/7.
Equation: 19 runs needed off 18 balls.
Wickets in hand: 3 (Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra).
---
Ravindra Jadeja was at the crease. He was the replacement for Deva. The pressure was on him to finish what Sachin started.
Praveen Kumar was run out. 335/8.
Over 48:
Jadeja faced Shane Watson.
Ball 1: Length ball. Jadeja swung. Mid-wicket boundary. FOUR.
Ball 2: Single.
Ball 3: Nehra survives. Single.
Ball 4: Jadeja slog sweep. SIX.
* Gavaskar: "What a shot! Under pressure, the young man delivers! Jadeja is showing his worth!"
Equation: 7 runs needed off 12 balls.
Over 49:
Doug Bollinger.
Jadeja took a single. Nehra took a single (edge).
Jadeja on strike. 5 runs needed.
Bollinger bowled a yorker.
Jadeja dug it out... and ran. He pushed Nehra for the second.
"Run run!"
They made it.
3 runs needed.
Over 50:
Clint McKay.
Jadeja on strike.
McKay bowled a slower ball.
Jadeja waited. He swatted it through square leg.
The field was up.
The ball raced to the boundary.
FOUR.
INDIA WINS BY 2 WICKETS.
Series Lead: 5-0.
Post-Match Presentation:
Ravi Shastri: "A thriller in Hyderabad! Sachin Tendulkar played one of the greatest innings ever seen—175. But the young guns, Kohli and Jadeja, brought it home. Man of the Match, undoubtedly, Sachin Tendulkar."
Dhoni Interview:
"We missed Sid today, obviously. He gives us that balance. But I am very proud of Ravindra (Jadeja). To come in and finish a game chasing 350? That shows character. And Virat at number 3 was solid."
---
6th ODI
Date: November 8, 2009.
Venue: Nehru Stadium, Guwahati.
Series Status: India leads 5-0.
Conditions: Overcast, damp pitch. Low bounce.
Pre-Match Studio Analysis
Ian Chappell: "The Australians are broken men. 5-0 down. They scored 350 in Hyderabad and still lost. That breaks a team's spirit. Guwahati is a tricky venue. The ball will nip around. MS Dhoni has made a change today—Gautam Gambhir sits out, perhaps a niggle or just rotation, and Dinesh Karthik gets a game at the top of the order with Viru."
The Toss
Dhoni flipped the coin. Tails.
Dhoni: "We will bowl first. There is moisture. We want to test our bowlers and see how the spinners grip the ball."
1st Innings
With the series gone, Australia's batting lineup collapsed like a house of cards. The damp pitch was a nightmare for stroke-making.
Praveen Kumar removed Shane Watson for a duck in the first over. Classic swing bowling, trapping him plumb in front.
Shaun Marsh tried to anchor, but the pitch was slow and holding up.
Dhoni introduced Ravindra Jadeja early.
Jadeja, brimming with confidence from his finishing act in Hyderabad, was unplayable on this surface. He bowled flat, fast, and accurate.
Over 21
Bowler: Ravindra Jadeja
Batsman: Ricky Ponting
20.1: Arm ball. Skids on. Ponting plays for turn. Beaten. Dot.
20.2: Pitches on leg, turns slightly to hit middle. Ponting tries to cut. Cramped. Bowled.
WICKET!
R. Ponting b Jadeja 25.
Shastri: "The Rockstar strikes! Ponting looks clueless against the left-arm spin! He played back to a ball he should have been forward to."
Jadeja ran through the middle order.
He removed Cameron White (Caught and Bowled off a leading edge) and Mike Hussey (Stumped by Dhoni as he overbalanced).
Mitchell Johnson tried to hit out but holed out to deep mid-wicket.
Jadeja Figures: 10-0-32-4.
Australia crumbled to 170.
2nd Innings
Target: 171.
It was never going to be enough to challenge this Indian lineup.
Virender Sehwag walked out with Dinesh Karthik.
Sehwag was in a hurry. He didn't care about the low bounce.
He smashed Doug Bollinger for three boundaries in the second over.
He raced to a quick 30 before mistiming a pull shot to mid-on.
India: 45/1.
Virat Kohli walked in at Number 3.
He looked completely at ease. The pitch had dried out slightly, and he adjusted his game beautifully.
He and Dinesh Karthik put on a solid partnership.
Karthik played the anchor, scoring a fluent 51.
Kohli took charge. He played some exquisite cover drives, leaning into the shot to negate the lack of bounce.
He reached his 74.
With 10 runs needed, Kohli stepped out to Nathan Hauritz.
He lofted him over long-on for SIX.
Then a single.
Dinesh Karthik hit the winning runs with a sweep shot.
India Won by 8 wickets.
Series Lead: 6-0.
Man of the Match: Ravindra Jadeja (4 wickets).
Siddanth Deva (Watching from the dressing room):
He clapped as Kohli and Karthik walked off.
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7th ODI
Date: November 11, 2009.
Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai.
Scenario: Dead Rubber. India looking for 7-0.
Cyclone Phyan was brewing in the Arabian Sea.
The city of Mumbai was lashed by heavy rains for two days prior to the match.
On match day, the DY Patil Stadium was a lake.
The drainage was good, but the rain was relentless.
Commentary (From the Studio)
Harsha Bhogle: "It is a sad end to a glorious series. The rain is hammering down in Mumbai. The umpires have inspected the pitch three times, but puddles are forming as fast as they clear them. There will be no cricket today."
Sunil Gavaskar: "A pity. India was poised for a historic 7-0. But 6-0 is a resounding statement. They have decimated the World Champions. And they did it with young blood—Deva, Kohli, Jadeja."
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: MATCH ABANDONED WITHOUT A BALL BOWLED.
Series Result: India wins 6-0 (1 No Result).
The Trophy Presentation
The rain had stopped just enough for the presentation ceremony on the wet outfield. The Indian team, wearing "Champions" t-shirts, gathered on the podium.
Ravi Shastri: "Ladies and gentlemen, the winners of the Hero Honda Cup, and the undisputed Number 1 ODI Team in the World—INDIA!"
MS Dhoni walked up to collect the trophy. He was grinning ear to ear.
He took the trophy.
He didn't keep it.
He walked straight to Siddanth Deva, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja.
He handed the trophy to the three of them.
"You guys won this," Dhoni said. "Lift it."
Siddanth, Virat, and Jadeja hoisted the cup high.
Fireworks exploded over the drenched stadium.
The camera zoomed in on their faces.
Virat Kohli: The Passion.
Ravindra Jadeja: The Flair.
Siddanth Deva: The Power.
Post-Series Analysis Studio:
Harsha Bhogle: "What a series. We have found gems. But the Player of the Series? It has to be one man."
Ravi Shastri: "For 249 runs at an average of 83, and 10 wickets... the Man of the Series is Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth walked up, the team cheering wildly.
Shastri: "Sid, rested for the last two, but you did enough damage early on. How does it feel to beat Australia 6-0?"
Siddanth: "It feels unreal. We spoke about being ruthless. The team showed that. Even without me, watching Virat and Jaddu win games... that shows how strong this team is. We are ready for any challenge."
Shastri: "Test Cricket awaits. Sri Lanka is coming. Are you ready for the white flannels?"
Siddanth: "I grew up dreaming of Test cricket. If I get the chance, I'll be ready."
---
The team bus left the stadium.
Siddanth sat next to Virat.
"6-0," Virat said, looking at his phone where the news was trending. "We are superstars right now."
"We are targets," Siddanth corrected, opening a bottle of water. "Number 1 ranking means everyone wants to beat us. Sri Lanka is next. Sehwag, Muralitharan, Sangakkara. Test cricket is different, Chiku. It tests your soul."
Virat looked at him. "You sound like an old man."
Siddanth smiled, tapping his temple. "Old soul. New legs."
He looked out the window at the rain-slicked streets of Mumbai.
The ODI domination was complete.
He had conquered the white ball.
Now, the red ball awaited. The purest form of the game.
And the Devil was hungry for a Test cap.