The caravan moved to Kanpur. The draw in Ahmedabad had been a run-fest, but the dusty bowl of Green Park promised something different. The ball would turn, the bounce would be low, and the patience of the batsmen would be tested against the spinning ball.
Series Status: 0-0.
2nd Test: The Kanpur Annihilation
Date: November 24, 2009.
Venue: Green Park Stadium, Kanpur.
Conditions: Dry, dusty, overcast morning.
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Sunil Gavaskar: "Welcome to Green Park. It's a traditional Indian wicket. No grass, cracks starting to open up already. It's a spinner's paradise, but the first two days will be the best for batting. The toss is vital. You bat first, you score 500, you win."
Ravi Shastri: "All eyes are on Virender Sehwag. He looked good in Ahmedabad before getting out. On this pitch, if he stays for two sessions, he takes the game away. And Siddanth Deva... he showed great maturity opening the batting. Can he replicate it here?"
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MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara.
Dhoni flipped the coin. Heads.
Dhoni: "We will bat. It looks dry. We want to put runs on the board and let the spinners do the work later."
Day 1:
Virender Sehwag and Siddanth Deva walked out.
The Sri Lankan pacers, Chanaka Welegedara and Angelo Mathews, started.
Sehwag didn't care about the low bounce. He played beside the line of the ball.
Over 5: He slashed Welegedara over point for six.
Over 10: He drove Mathews straight down the ground.
Deva played the perfect foil. He rotated the strike, giving Sehwag the lead.
Ian Chappell: "This is carnage. Sehwag is scoring at a run a ball in a Test match! Deva is just watching the show from the best seat in the house."
Sehwag reached his Century off just 97 balls.
Deva reached his 50.
In the post-lunch session, Sehwag tried to hit Muralitharan out of the park. He mistimed it to long-on.
WICKET: V. Sehwag c Welegedara b Muralitharan 131 (122 balls).
Siddanth switched gears. He anchored.
He and Rahul Dravid ground the Lankans down.
Deva fell late in the day for a solid 85, trapped LBW by Rangana Herath..
Day 2 & 3:
India batted on. Rahul Dravid scored a century (144). Yuvraj Singh scored 63.
India declared at a mammoth 642.
Sri Lanka Innings:
The pitch was now turning and keeping low.
But the hero wasn't a spinner. It was S. Sreesanth.
He produced a spell of reverse swing that stunned everyone.
Ball of the Match: He bowled an unplayable delivery to Thilan Samaraweera—it angled in and straightened to beat the outside edge and hit off stump.
Siddanth Deva chipped in with the wicket of Sangakkara, caught brilliantly by Dravid at slip.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 229.
Follow-On Enforced.
In the second innings, Harbhajan Singh and Siddanth Deva (bowling cutters) wreaked havoc.
Sri Lanka crumbled for 269.
India Won by an Innings and 144 Runs.
Man of the Match: S. Sreesanth (For his 6 wickets in the match).
Post-Match Scene:
The team celebrated. Sehwag was grinning. Sreesanth was dancing.
Siddanth high-fived Dhoni.
"1-0," Dhoni said. "One more to go. Mumbai."
3rd Test:
Date: December 2, 2009.
Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.
Context: India leads 1-0. A win or draw makes them World No. 1.
Ravi Shastri: "It doesn't get bigger than this. The Brabourne Stadium returns to Test cricket after 36 years. And what an occasion. India is one step away from the Test mace. The atmosphere is electric. The Mumbai crowd is ready."
Sunil Gavaskar: "The pitch has bounce. It has carry. It will suit stroke players like Sehwag and Tendulkar. Sri Lanka needs a miracle to stop this Indian juggernaut."
Dhoni flipped. Tails.
Sangakkara: "We will bat. It looks like a good wicket. We need to put pressure on India."
Day 1: The Lankan Fight
Sri Lanka batted well. Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed a century (109). Angelo Mathews scored 99.
They put up a respectable 393 in the first innings.
Siddanth Deva was the pick of the bowlers. He used the bounce at Brabourne effectively, taking 4 wickets for 88 runs, including Dilshan and Mahela.
India Innings Start:
India had to bat 5 overs before stumps.
Sehwag and Deva walked out.
Sehwag hit two fours.
Stumps Day 1: India 11/0.
Day 2:
This day belonged to one man. Virender Sehwag.
He decided that 393 was too small a total to respect.
Session 1:
Sehwag attacked Muralitharan. He attacked Welegedara. He attacked everyone.
He reached his 50 in 40 balls.
He reached his 100 in 100 balls.
Siddanth Deva was at the other end, watching the maestro at work. Siddanth played sensibly, rotating strike, scoring a quick 45 before getting out caught behind off Mathews.
Session 2 & 3:
Sehwag didn't stop.
He reached 200.
The Brabourne crowd was going hysterical.
At the other end, Rahul Dravid (74) and Sachin Tendulkar (53) played supporting roles.
Sehwag was batting on a different planet. He was unbeaten on 284 at Stumps.
Sehwag scored 284 runs in a single day.
Ravi Shastri: "I have run out of adjectives! This is not batting; this is butchery! Virender Sehwag has dismantled the Sri Lankan attack single-handedly. 284 in a day! Unbelievable!"
Day 3:
Morning Session:
The anticipation was palpable. Would Sehwag break Lara's 400? Would he get his third triple?
Sehwag started cautiously (for him).
While Sehwag was taking guard, the camera panned to the Indian dressing room balcony.
Siddanth Deva was sitting in the front row, flanked by VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.
Siddanth was deep in conversation, using his hands to mimic a wrist position, discussing the nuances of reverse swing with the masters. He was completely focused.
Harsha Bhogle: "The atmosphere is absolutely buzzing, Ravi. But hello... what do we have here? The cameraman has found someone interesting in the North Stand."
The big screen shifted. It showed a stunning young woman in the crowd, wearing an Indian jersey. She was holding up a large, glittery placard.
It read: "DEVIL WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
Next to the text was a poorly drawn (but enthusiastic) cricket bat and a heart.
Ravi Shastri (chuckling): "Oh, look at that! A proposal live on national television! 'Devil will you marry me?' She seems very keen, doesn't she?"
Harsha Bhogle: "She certainly does. But the man in question, the Devil himself, seems a bit occupied. Look at him, deep in a tactical masterclass with Rahul Dravid. He hasn't seen it!"
In the dressing room, Yuvraj Singh, who was standing behind Siddanth, saw the giant screen.
He slapped Siddanth on the shoulder.
"Oye! Romeo! Look!" Yuvraj shouted, pointing at the screen.
Siddanth looked up, startled. But at that exact moment, Muralitharan ran in to bowl to Sehwag. The big screen cut back to the live feed of the delivery.
Sehwag defended the ball.
Ravi Shastri: "Oh, he missed it! Murali ran in just as Yuvi tried to show him. Siddanth is looking confused. Yuvi is filling him in now. Look at Bhajji and Ojha... they are absolutely giving it to him!"
In the dressing room, Yuvraj was miming a 'marry me' gesture and pointing to the crowd. Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, and S. Sreesanth were howling with laughter, nudging Siddanth and ruffling his hair. Siddanth looked bewildered, trying to understand what happened.
Harsha Bhogle: "Okay, the ball is dead. Cameraman, take us back. Let's see if we can connect the dots here."
The camera shifted back to the girl. She saw herself on the screen again. She started jumping up and down, waving the board frantically, screaming in excitement. The crowd around her cheered.
Then, the camera split-screened to the Indian balcony.
Siddanth saw it.
He read the board. "DEVIL WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
A slow, charming smile spread across his face.
The teasing from Yuvraj and Sreesanth intensified. Sreesanth was pushing him towards the railing.
Siddanth didn't shy away. He looked directly into the camera lens.
He raised his hand.
He blew a flying kiss.
Then, he brought his hands together and made a perfect Heart Symbol over his chest.
Ravi Shastri: "AND HE RESPONDS! The flying kiss and the heart from the Devil! Listen to that roar! The girl has gone absolutely berserk!"
On the screen, the girl covered her mouth, her eyes wide, and then she let out a scream of pure joy that the stump mic probably picked up. She hugged her friend, jumping up and down.
Harsha Bhogle: "Well, Sehwag might be nearing a triple century, but Siddanth Deva has just won a heart in the stands. Brilliant scenes here at the Brabourne."
He moved to 290.
Over 101: Muralitharan to Sehwag.
Sehwag tried to tap it for a single. He checked his shot. The ball popped up back to the bowler.
Caught and Bowled.
WICKET: V. Sehwag c & b Muralitharan 293 (254 balls).
The crowd gave him a standing ovation that lasted five minutes. He had fallen 7 runs short of a triple, but he had won the game.
MS Dhoni came in and smashed 100 not out.
India declared at 726/9.
Lead: 333 Runs.
Day 4 & 5:
Sri Lanka came out to bat again, buried under the mountain of runs.
The spirit was broken.
Zaheer Khan struck early.
Siddanth Deva took 2 wickets with reverse swing.
Harbhajan Singh spun a web.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 309.
India Won by an Innings and 24 Runs.
Series Result: India wins 2-0.
The Brabourne Stadium was a sea of blue. The Indian team gathered on the podium, wearing "Number 1" caps.
Ravi Shastri: "History is made in Mumbai! India is the Number 1 Test Team in the world! A dominant performance to seal the series 2-0."
Player of the Match: Virender Sehwag (For his 293).
Player of the Series:
Ravi Shastri: "There were many contenders. Siddanth Deva with his all-round show, Sreesanth with that spell in Kanpur. But for scoring 424 runs in three matches at a strike rate of over 100... the Man of the Series is Virender Sehwag!"
Sehwag walked up, smiling his relaxed smile.
Shastri: "Viru, 293. Are you sad you missed the triple?"
Sehwag: "Not really. I missed the triple, but we won the match and became Number 1. That is more important. The wicket was good, and I just played my game. See ball, hit ball."
MS Dhoni lifts the Test Mace.
He handed it to Sachin Tendulkar. After everyone took a pic with mace, Siddanth was given the mace on his turn. Siddanth looked at the camera.
The year 2009 was ending.
T20 World Cup? Won.
Champions Trophy? Won.
Number 1 in ODIs? Yes.
Number 1 in Tests? Yes.
It was the perfect year.