Date: July 5, 2013
Location: Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Event: Celkon Mobile Cup Tri-Series – Match 4: India vs. West Indies
The Celkon Mobile Cup Tri-Series had moved from the blistering, dry heat of Jamaica to the slightly more humid, picturesque setting of Port of Spain, Trinidad. For the Indian team, the transition in geography also carried a massive shift in psychological intent.
A week prior, the West Indies had handed India an agonizing one-wicket defeat at Sabina Park. Siddanth Deva, standing in as the captain after MS Dhoni's hamstring injury, had meticulously engineered a defense of a sub-par total, only to be undone by a lucky outside edge on the final delivery.
Today, it was about balancing the ledger.
Inside the broadcasting box overlooking the lush green outfield of the Queen's Park Oval, Ian Bishop and Ravi Shastri analyzed the impending clash.
"A very warm welcome to Port of Spain, ladies and gentlemen," Ravi Shastri's voice kicked off the live broadcast. "We are set for the fourth match of this Tri-Series. India taking on the West Indies. Ian, the last time these two sides met, it was an absolute thriller that went down to the wire. What can we expect from the pitch today?"
"The pitch here at Queen's Park Oval is traditionally much better for batting than what we saw in Jamaica," Ian Bishop explained, pointing to the 22 yards. "It has an even covering of grass, meaning the ball will come onto the bat nicely. It won't grip and stop as much. For a batting lineup like India's, which features shot-makers who rely on timing, this is a very welcome change of scenery."
"Siddanth Deva has the reins of the Indian team today, continuing his stint as captain," Shastri added. "He was brilliant in the last game. Let's head down to the middle for the toss."
Down on the pitch, Siddanth Deva stood alongside Dwayne Bravo. Siddanth spun the coin; Bravo called tails. It landed heads.
"Siddanth, you've won the toss. What's the decision?" the match referee asked.
"We are going to bat first," Siddanth stated cleanly, his eyes scanning the outfield. "It looks like a fantastic batting surface. The sun is out, the track is hard, and we want to put a massive total on the board and apply scoreboard pressure."
"Any changes to the Indian playing eleven?"
"We are playing the same squad that won against Sri Lanka," Siddanth confirmed.
"Thanks, Siddanth. Dwayne, chasing against this Indian bowling attack. Your thoughts?"
"We would have loved to bowl first anyway," Bravo smiled confidently. "We have Kemar Roach and Tino Best to exploit any early moisture. If we restrict them to under 260, our boys can chase it down."
---
The West Indian pacers, Kemar Roach and Tino Best, took the new white balls. The Indian openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, walked out to the middle.
Roach steamed in, but the pitch behaved exactly as Ian Bishop had predicted. It was true, flat, and offered zero lateral movement.
Rohit Sharma hit two elegant boundaries in the third over, looking to set the tone, but was undone by a brilliant, deceptive slower ball from Darren Sammy in the eighth over, caught at extra cover for 18.
Rohit Sharma: c Pollard b Sammy 18 (28)
The score was 34 for 1. Virat Kohli walked out to join Shikhar Dhawan.
What followed was an absolute masterclass in modern ODI batting. The Queen's Park Oval pitch offered no demons, and two of the finest top-order batsmen in the world decided to capitalize entirely.
Dhawan, utilizing his superb square-of-the-wicket game, continuously pierced the off-side field. He cut and drove the West Indian pacers with ruthless efficiency. Kohli, at the other end, was a metronome of strike rotation and flawless wrist-work, casually flicking the spinners through mid-wicket for boundaries.
"This is sublime batting from the Indian pair," Sunil Gavaskar noted during the 25th over, as the partnership crossed the 100-run mark. "They are not taking unnecessary aerial risks. They are simply picking the gaps, running hard, and completely exhausting the West Indian fielders."
Dwayne Bravo tried rotating his bowlers, bringing in Sunil Narine and Marlon Samuels, but Kohli and Dhawan read the spin perfectly off the pitch. Dhawan brought up his half-century, and soon after, Kohli raised his bat for a brilliant fifty of his own.
The partnership swelled to 150. Then 180.
By the 40th over, Shikhar Dhawan pushed a ball to long-off and jogged across the pitch, taking off his helmet to soak in the applause.
"A magnificent century for Shikhar Dhawan!" Harsha Bhogle boomed. "102 off 124 balls. He has anchored this innings beautifully."
Dhawan fell an over later, completely drained by the Trinidad humidity, caught in the deep trying to accelerate the scoring rate.
Shikhar Dhawan: c Charles b Roach 102 (124)
Suresh Raina was promoted to number four to maintain the left-right combination, but the explosive left-hander was cleaned up by a brilliant yorker from Tino Best for 12.
Suresh Raina: b Best 12 (14)
The score was 260 for 3 in the 46th over. Virat Kohli was batting on a spectacular, unbeaten 104.
With exactly four overs remaining in the innings, Siddanth Deva walked down the pavilion steps.
"And here comes the Captain," Ian Bishop announced. "Siddanth Deva. He has just 24 balls left in this innings. The platform is set for absolute carnage."
Siddanth took his guard against Dwayne Bravo.
Bravo, knowing Deva's raw power, attempted to bowl wide yorkers outside the off-stump.
Siddanth didn't try to muscle the ball. On the first delivery, he shuffled entirely across his stumps, dropped to one knee, and audaciously scooped the 135 kmph delivery clean over the fine-leg boundary for six.
"First ball, into the stands!" Shastri roared. "He doesn't need to get his eye in!"
The next delivery was a slower ball, dipping late. Siddanth held his shape, waited an agonizingly long time, and launched it straight down the ground, easily clearing the long-on boundary.
Kohli, standing at the non-striker's end, just laughed and shook his head, offering Siddanth the strike whenever possible.
Siddanth faced only 12 deliveries in his brief, violent cameo. He hit three massive sixes and three boundaries, completely dismantling the West Indian death bowling figures. He finished the innings by expertly slicing a yorker from Kemar Roach past backward point for four.
INDIA: 311/3 (50 Overs)
Virat Kohli: 112 Not Out (117 balls)
Siddanth Deva: 35 Not Out (12 balls, 3 Fours, 3 Sixes)
"An absolute clinic from India today," Harsha Bhogle summarized at the innings break. "311 for 3. Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan did the heavy lifting with magnificent centuries, and Siddanth Deva provided the perfect, explosive finish, scoring 35 runs off just 12 deliveries. The West Indies have a mountain to climb on a pitch that might just start taking some spin."
---
The West Indies began their chase of 312 with aggressive intent. Chris Gayle and Johnson Charles knew that surviving wasn't an option; they needed a massive Powerplay.
Siddanth handed the new balls to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav. He set aggressive, attacking fields, placing a slip and a gully for Gayle to exploit the left-hander's tendency to edge the moving ball.
In the fourth over, Bhuvneshwar pitched a delivery on a perfect length just outside off-stump. Gayle, trying to hit through the line without moving his feet, nicked it straight into the waiting gloves of Dinesh Karthik.
"Caught behind! Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes the massive blow!" Bishop yelled. "Chris Gayle departs early again, and India has the start they desperately wanted!"
Chris Gayle: c Karthik b Kumar 10 (14)
Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo tried to consolidate, but Siddanth rotated his bowlers with clinical precision. He introduced himself into the attack in the 12th over, bowling a tight, restrictive spell of medium-fast off-cutters that completely choked the scoring rate.
In his third over, Siddanth cramped Darren Bravo for room. Bravo attempted a pull shot but mistimed it, holing out to Ravindra Jadeja at deep mid-wicket.
Darren Bravo: c Jadeja b Deva 15 (22)
The introduction of spin sealed the match. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja operated in tandem, utilizing the dry surface to turn the ball sharply. They strangled the West Indian middle order. Marlon Samuels was trapped LBW by Ashwin, and Kieron Pollard was comprehensively bowled by a fast, flat dart from Jadeja.
Siddanth returned for a final spell in the 42nd over to bowl to the dangerous Darren Sammy. Sammy was a pure power-hitter who liked to clear his front leg and muscle the ball down the ground. Siddanth engaged his [Predator's Focus] to set a tactical trap.
He bowled two wide, dipping slower balls, making Sammy reach far outside his off-stump and heavily frustrating him. Anticipating that Sammy would step aggressively across his stumps to slog the third delivery, Siddanth unleashed a searing 148 kmph express yorker aimed directly at the base of the leg stump. It shattered the wood before Sammy's bat could even complete its downward arc.
"BOWLED HIM! Absolute precision from the Captain!" Shastri called out. "He set Sammy up beautifully with the slower balls wide, and then targets the stumps with express pace. That is elite fast bowling!"
Darren Sammy: b Deva 24 (18)
The West Indian tail offered no resistance against the Indian spinners. They were bowled out comfortably short of the target.
WEST INDIES: 209 All Out (46.2 Overs)
India had secured a commanding, utterly dominant victory by 102 runs, avenging their previous loss and cementing their dominance in the Tri-Series.
---
The presentation ceremony was held under the bright Caribbean sun.
Ravi Shastri stood at the podium. "A massive victory for India! They posted a huge total, and the bowlers executed the plans perfectly. Our Man of the Match, for a flawless century... Virat Kohli!"
Kohli walked up, accepting the award with a wide grin. "Thanks, Ravi Bhai. The pitch was excellent today. Shikhar and I just focused on building a partnership and keeping the scoreboard moving. When you have a guy like Sid waiting in the dugout to finish the innings, it takes all the pressure off the top order. The bowlers did a fantastic job defending it."
Siddanth Deva was called up next as the winning captain.
"Siddanth, a clinical performance," Shastri praised. "You avenged the one-wicket loss from Jamaica in style. The top order fired, and your bowlers never let them settle."
"The boys executed the blueprint perfectly today, Ravi," Siddanth said calmly into the microphone. "Shikhar and Virat batted on a different level. When you put 300-plus on the board, scoreboard pressure does half the job for the bowlers. Bhuvi set the tone by getting Gayle early, and the spinners just tightened the noose in the middle overs. It was a complete team effort."
"And your own batting cameo? 35 off 12 balls. You seem to be enjoying this finishing role."
"It's just about adapting to the situation," Siddanth smiled smoothly. "Virat was set, so my job was just to find the boundaries and push the total as high as possible. We go into the next game against Sri Lanka with great momentum."
[SIDDANTH DEVA MATCH STATS: Batting: 35 (12 balls) | Bowling: 2 for 32 (7 overs)]*
---
Date: July 9, 2013
Location: Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Event: Celkon Mobile Cup Tri-Series – Match 6: India vs. Sri Lanka
Four days later, the Indian team returned to the Queen's Park Oval to face Sri Lanka in their final group-stage match.
However, the Caribbean weather had entirely different plans.
A massive, unrelenting tropical storm had washed over Port of Spain since dawn. The covers remained firmly pegged onto the square, and the outfield was dotted with massive puddles.
The players remained confined to the dressing rooms. In the corner of the Indian locker room, a highly aggressive, intensely competitive game of Uno had broken out. Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Siddanth Deva sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a pile of colorful cards. Despite possessing an Architect's Mind capable of counting cards and calculating exact probabilities to completely rig the game, Siddanth had entirely switched off his system. He just wanted to have fun.
"Draw four, Cheeku," Siddanth grinned, slapping a +4 card down on the pile.
Kohli stared at the card, looking genuinely betrayed. "Where is your morality? I have twenty cards in my hand!"
"Morality doesn't exist in Uno, Cheeku," Jadeja cackled, quickly slapping down a yellow reverse card.
"If you reverse this back to me, Jaddu, I am officially banning you from playing your music in dressing room," Kohli threatened, pointing a furious finger at the spinner.
Siddanth burst out laughing, leaning back against his kitbag.
By 1:00 PM, the rain finally stopped. The ground staff, utilizing massive super-soppers, worked frantically to clear the outfield.
Up in the commentary box, Ian Bishop and Harsha Bhogle provided the logistical updates.
"We have some good news, finally," Harsha announced, looking down at the umpires inspecting the pitch. "The ground staff have done a phenomenal job. The umpires have decided that we will have a match. However, due to the massive loss of time, the match has been drastically reduced. We will have a 29-over-per-side contest."
"That changes the tactical parameters completely, Harsha," Ian Bishop explained, breaking down the new rules. "In a 29-over match, the mandatory Powerplay is reduced to 6 overs. Furthermore, a bowler can bowl a maximum of only 6 overs. It essentially turns this ODI into an extended T20 match. The teams have to be aggressive from ball one."
Down on the pitch, Siddanth Deva and Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews walked out for the toss.
Siddanth spun the coin; Mathews called heads. It landed tails.
"We are going to bowl first, Ravi Bhai," Siddanth told Shastri without a second thought. "In a rain-curtailed match with the Duckworth-Lewis method hovering around, it is always better to chase. You know exactly what the required run rate is. Plus, the pitch has been under covers all morning; there might be some dampness for our seamers to exploit."
"Any changes to the side for a 29-over game?" Shastri asked.
"No, we are sticking with our winning combination," Siddanth confirmed. "The bowlers are ready."
---
The umpires signaled the start of play. Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene walked out to open the batting for Sri Lanka.
Siddanth tossed the new ball to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Knowing they only had 174 legal deliveries to set a target, the Sri Lankan openers played with extreme urgency. Tharanga stepped out of his crease, negating Bhuvneshwar's swing, and hit two crisp boundaries over the infield.
Ishant Sharma, bowling from the other end, struggled with his length on the slightly damp pitch, and Jayawardene punished him with elegant cuts and pulls.
Sri Lanka raced to 42 for no loss at the end of the 6-over Powerplay.
Siddanth immediately took control of the situation. He brought himself into the attack to bowl the 7th over, replacing Ishant.
"The Captain brings himself on," Sunil Gavaskar noted on the broadcast. "Deva has a maximum of six overs today. He needs to break this opening stand, which is looking very dangerous."
Siddanth steamed in. He didn't try to bowl express pace on a pitch that was slightly spongy from the rain.
He bowled a tight, stump-to-stump line to Tharanga, conceding only two runs in his first over. In his second over, he bowled to Jayawardene, mixing in sharp off-cutters that gripped the damp surface, refusing to give the Sri Lankan maestro any room to free his arms.
In his third over, the pressure of Siddanth's dot balls paid off. Tharanga, desperate to accelerate, attempted to heave a 140 kmph back-of-a-length delivery over mid-wicket. The ball hurried onto him, took the top edge, and ballooned high into the air. Suresh Raina settled safely underneath it at square leg.
Upul Tharanga: c Raina b Deva 31 (28)
"Caught! Deva provides the breakthrough!" Bishop called out. "He built the pressure with tight lines, and Tharanga cracks. A crucial wicket for India."
Siddanth finished his spell of six unbroken overs, recording brilliant figures of 1 for 24, effectively slamming the brakes on the Sri Lankan scoring rate during the middle phase of the innings.
However, the rest of the Sri Lankan batting order capitalized heavily in the final ten overs. Kumar Sangakkara played a brilliant, aggressive cameo of 45 off 30 balls, manipulating the Indian spinners with sweeps and reverse sweeps. Angelo Mathews provided the final flourish, hitting Umesh Yadav for two sixes in the 28th over.
Sri Lanka finished their 29 overs with a highly competitive total.
SRI LANKA: 175/5 (29 Overs)
"175 in 29 overs translates to a required run rate of just over 6 an over," Harsha Bhogle calculated during the innings break. "It is a very tricky total. The pitch is playing decently, but it is not a flat highway. The Indian top order, particularly Dhawan and Rohit, will need to pace this chase perfectly."
The Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, walked out to face the Sri Lankan pace attack of Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara.
Dhawan, attempting to dominate from the very first over, stepped out to Kulasekara but completely misread a slower delivery. He was trapped plumb in front of the stumps in the second over.
Shikhar Dhawan: lbw b Kulasekara 6 (8)
The score was 10 for 1. The early loss of Dhawan could have triggered a panic, but Virat Kohli walked out to join Rohit Sharma, and the two premier batsmen immediately took control of the narrative.
"This is a pivotal partnership for India," Ian Bishop noted. "Both Rohit and Kohli are sublime chasers. They don't need to panic; they just need to build."
And build they did.
Rohit Sharma, timing the ball with breathtaking elegance, effortlessly lofted Malinga over extra cover for a boundary. Kohli, fully dialed into the chase, whipped Kulasekara through mid-wicket with absolute precision.
They respected the good deliveries and ruthlessly punished the bad ones. When Angelo Mathews introduced the spin of Rangana Herath, Rohit used his feet brilliantly, hitting the left-arm spinner for a massive six straight down the ground.
The partnership blossomed, completely demoralizing the Sri Lankan fielding unit. Rohit brought up his half-century off 45 balls, and Kohli followed shortly after with his own fifty off 42 balls.
They pushed the score to 140 for 1 by the end of the 23rd over, requiring just 36 runs from the final six overs.
However, attempting to finish the game quickly early in the 24th over, Rohit Sharma tried to pull a sharp bouncer from Lasith Malinga and caught a top edge, caught safely by the wicket-keeper.
Rohit Sharma: c Sangakkara b Malinga 72 (73)
"A phenomenal innings from Rohit Sharma comes to an end," Shastri boomed over the mic. "72 off 73 balls. He has practically killed this run chase. India need 34 runs from 33 balls. And walking out to the middle to join Virat Kohli is the Indian Captain, Siddanth Deva."
Siddanth walked out to the crease, perfectly relaxed. The hard work had been done by the top order. His job was simply to close the door.
He took his guard against Malinga. The Sri Lankan slinger immediately went for a yorker, but Siddanth, utilizing his elite hand-eye coordination, jammed his bat down, opening the face to squeeze the ball past short third man for a boundary.
"He is off the mark in style!" Gavaskar praised. "He didn't try to overhit it; he just used Malinga's pace."
In the next over, facing Angelo Mathews, Siddanth decided to end the contest. Mathews bowled a length ball, and Siddanth stepped out, launching it with a massive, high-elbow swing straight into the stands over long-on for six.
Kohli hit a boundary in the following over, bringing the required runs down to single digits.
In the 27th over, needing just four runs to win, Siddanth faced Kulasekara. He waited for a slower ball, held his shape perfectly, and drove it elegantly through the covers for a boundary, sealing the victory with 15 balls to spare.
INDIA: 178/2 (26.3 Overs)
Virat Kohli: 68 Not Out (68 balls)
Siddanth Deva: 24 Not Out (10 balls, 3 Fours, 1 Six)
The Indian players on the balcony stood up and applauded. It was a thoroughly professional, dominant run chase. Siddanth and Kohli bumped fists in the middle of the pitch, walking off entirely untroubled by the Sri Lankan attack.
---
The post-match presentation took place under the stadium floodlights, the threat of rain completely gone.
Ravi Shastri stood at the podium. "A brilliant, clinical victory for India, chasing down 176 in just 26.3 overs! Rohit Sharma is our Man of the Match for a flawless 72."
Rohit accepted the award with a smile. "Thanks, Ravi. It was a tricky pitch initially, but Virat and I just decided to play our normal game. We didn't want to leave too much for the end. When you have a solid partnership, the required rate takes care of itself."
Siddanth Deva was called up next as the winning captain.
"Siddanth, back-to-back victories here in Trinidad," Shastri said, a wide grin on his face. "Your top order was absolutely phenomenal today."
"They were, Ravi," Siddanth agreed, leaning into the microphone. "Rohit and Virat made a very tricky chase look incredibly easy. When your top three batsmen are in this kind of form, it makes the captain's job very simple. I just had to walk in and hit a few boundaries at the end."
"The rain reduced the game to 29 overs. Does that disrupt the dressing room strategy?"
"You just have to adapt," Siddanth replied smoothly. "We knew the Powerplay was reduced, and the bowlers had tighter limits. I bowled my six overs straight through to try and break their momentum, and the boys backed it up in the field. We are looking forward to the final."
"A dominant display. Congratulations, Siddanth."
As Siddanth walked into the dressing room. He pulled out his phone to check any new messages and opened a message from Krithika. Due to the massive time zone difference between the Caribbean and India, it was currently 3:30 AM back home.
Headache:I drank three cups of black coffee and stayed up until 3:00 AM to watch you bat in this second game, and you only faced 10 balls before winning it. You owe me financial compensation for my ruined sleep schedule.
Siddanth chuckled softly, typing a quick reply promising her a double shot of espresso when he returned.
The Caribbean challenge had been met and dismantled. The top order was firing on all cylinders, the bowlers were executing their plans, and the captain was pulling the tactical strings with flawless precision. The Celkon Mobile Cup final awaited, and the Indian machine looked utterly unstoppable.
[SIDDANTH DEVA MATCH STATS: Batting: 24 (10 balls) | Bowling: 1 for 24 (6 overs)]*