Location: Hyderabad Public School (HPS), Begumpet.
The St. Ann's school bus, a rattling yellow Tata box, turned into the massive iron gates of HPS.
For a middle-class kid from Secunderabad, entering HPS was like entering a different country. The buildings looked like palaces (Indo-Saracenic architecture). There were peacocks roaming on the lawns.
"Arey, is this a school or a resort?" Karthik whispered, pressing his face against the window. He had come along as the "12th Man" (water boy).
Sai looked out. Begumpet. The Eagle's Nest. In his previous life, he had played corporate cricket matches here. But seeing it through the eyes of a 10-year-old, the scale was intimidating.
The bus stopped near the cricket ground. It wasn't a dusty patch of red soil. It was a lush, emerald green oval. And in the center, there was the holy grail of cricket: A Turf Wicket.
A strip of rolled clay and grass. Not concrete. Not matting. Real turf.
"Listen!" Gopal Sir stood up at the front of the bus. "Don't look at the peacocks. Look at the ground. It is turf. The ball will skid. It will not bounce as high as concrete. Pitch the ball up! Understood?"
"YES SIR!"
Time: 9:15 AM The Toss
The HPS team looked like they were sponsored by Nike. Their kits were blindingly white, ironed, and fitted. Their captain, a tall boy named Rohan, shook hands with Aditya.
"Heads," Rohan said in perfect, convent-educated English. It was Heads.
"We will bat," Rohan said confidently. "Good luck, guys."
Aditya walked back to the huddle, looking nervous. "They are batting. We need tight fielding. Sai, you are small. Go to Third Man."
Sai nodded. Third man. The place where they hide the weak fielders.
Time: 9:45 AM First Innings: HPS Batting
The match began. St. Ann's opening bowler, Varun, ran in. He was used to bowling on concrete where you bang the ball short to get bounce.
Ball 1: Varun banged it short. On concrete, this would fly to the keeper. On this lush turf, the ball gripped the grass, skidded low, and sat up nicely.
CRACK.
The HPS opener, a stylish lefty, rocked back and pulled it for four.
Ball 2: Short again. CRACK. Square cut for four.
"Bowl full ra! Munduki eyyu!" Aditya screamed from mid-off. (Bowl full! Throw it forward!)
Varun tried to adjust. He overcompensated and bowled a full toss. Whack. Straight drive for four.
Score: 12/0 in 0.3 overs.
Sai stood at the boundary (Third Man), watching. This is a slaughter, he analyzed. Our bowlers are panicking. They are scared of the 'Rich Kids'.
By the 10th over, HPS was 85/1. The HPS batsmen were playing "proper" cricket. Straight bats, high elbows. They looked coached.
Sai observed the HPS captain, Rohan, who was now batting. Rohan was good. He drove everything on the off-side. Cover drive. Off drive. But Sai noticed something the "System" highlighted.
[OBSERVATION] Target Analysis: Front foot plant is heavy. Weight transfer is 100% forward.
Rohan was committing to the front foot very early. He was assuming the ball would always come onto the bat. He is vulnerable to the ball that stops or grips.
But St. Ann's didn't have a mystery spinner. They just had medium pacers and...
"Aditya!" Gopal Sir yelled from the boundary line. "Change the bowling! Bring spin!"
Aditya looked around. "Venu! Come!"
Venu, the chubby leg-spinner (and Sai's senior from the gully), took the ball. Venu was terrified. He had never bowled on turf.
Over 11: Venu bowled a full toss. Smoked for six. Venu bowled a wide.
Aditya walked up to Venu, looking frustrated. "Arey, just bowl straight!"
The field was set defensively. Fielders on the boundary.
Sai ran from Third Man to get a drink of water near the sight-screen. He saw Aditya standing there, hands on hips.
Sai took a risk. He walked up to his captain.
"Anna," Sai said.
Aditya glared at him. "Go to your position, Chotu."
"Anna, listen," Sai said urgently, pointing at the batsman, Rohan. "He is planting his front foot too early. He wants to drive everything."
"So?"
"Tell Venu to bowl slightly shorter. Drag the length back. Make him reach for it."
Aditya scoffed. "If he bowls short, he will get pulled for six."
"No," Sai shook his head. "On concrete, yes. But this is turf. Venu is giving the ball air. If it lands short, it will grip and turn. Rohan is already committed forward. He will spoon a catch."
Aditya looked at the 10-year-old. Then he looked at the scoreboard. 98/1. They were desperate.
"Fine," Aditya grunted. "If he hits a six, I will kick you out of the team."
Aditya walked to Venu. He whispered something. Venu looked confused, but he nodded.
The Trap
Venu walked back to his mark. Sai ran back to the boundary... but stopped. If the ball loops up, it won't go to the boundary. It will go to... Point.
But the fielder at Point was Sandeep, who was currently busy staring at a peacock.
Sai waved at Aditya. He pointed to Point. Move him up. Aditya hesitated, then waved Sandeep to come closer. A "Silly Point" / Short Cover position.
The Ball: Venu ran in. He didn't float it up full. He held the ball back. He bowled it slightly flatter and shorter, aimed at the off-stump.
Rohan saw the flight. His brain said "Drive." His left foot stomped forward. Massive stride. He went for the cover drive.
But the ball wasn't full. It landed on a dry patch of turf. It gripped. It turned away slightly. It stopped on the pitch.
Rohan's bat was already through the shot. He wasn't hitting the ball; he was reaching for it.
Check shot. He tried to pull out of the shot at the last second. Too late.
Pop.
The ball looped gently off the face of the bat. It floated in the air like a slow-motion balloon. Straight to Sandeep at short cover.
Sandeep was surprised, but the catch was so easy he could have caught it with his mouth. Thud.
"OUT!" Venu screamed, jumping in the air.
Rohan stood there, shocked. He looked at the pitch, then at his bat. He had been tricked.
HPS: 98/2.
Aditya ran to Venu and hugged him. "Super ball ra! Super brain!"
Then, Aditya turned. He looked at the boundary where the small 10-year-old was standing. Aditya pointed a finger at Sai. Good call.
Sai just adjusted his oversized hat and nodded.
[RESONANCE] Tactical Victory.
It felt better than hitting a boundary.
Time: 11:30 AM Innings Break
HPS finished at 145/6 in 20 overs. It was a big score, but reachable. If they hadn't taken those wickets in the middle, it would have been 180.
The St. Ann's team sat in a circle, eating bananas. Gopal Sir looked serious.
"145. Required rate is 7.2. We need a good start. Aditya, you and Ravi open."
Sai sat on his kit bag, chewing a banana. He knew what was coming. HPS had fast bowlers. Real fast bowlers.
"Sir," Aditya said, looking at his pads. "Their opener... that tall guy... I heard he plays for Hyderabad U-14 Zonal."
Fear. The dressing room smelled of it.
"Just play the ball, not the bowler," Gopal Sir said, but he sounded worried too.
The Collapse
0.1 Overs: Ravi bowled by a swinging yorker. 0/1. 2.3 Overs: Aditya caught behind. The pace was too much. 12/2. 4.0 Overs: Number 3 batsman Run Out due to panic. 18/3.
St. Ann's was crumbling. The HPS bowlers were quick, and the bounce on the turf was confusing the batsmen who grew up on concrete.
"Number 5!" Gopal Sir yelled.
Sai stood up. But Gopal Sir pointed to Raghu (the senior pacer). "Raghu, go hit some shots."
Raghu went in. He swung wildly. He connected a few. Score moves to 45/4. Then Raghu tried to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. Skied it. Out.
45/5 in 8 Overs. Still 100 runs needed in 12 overs.
"Sai Krishna! Pad up!"
Sai was already padded up. He picked up his helmet. He walked out of the tent.
The sun was high now. The pitch was baking. The HPS fielders were chirping. "Come on boys, one more wicket! Let's finish this before lunch!"
Sai walked to the crease. He looked tiny next to the umpire.
The HPS wicketkeeper laughed. "School team or kindergarten team?"
Sai took his guard. "Leg stump."
He looked at the field. They had brought the fielders in. Slips, gully, silly point. They wanted to intimidate him.
Perfect, Sai thought. If the field is up, the gaps are open.
The bowler was the Zonal player. Tall, athletic action. He ran in.
He thinks I'm a kid. He will bowl a fast straight ball to knock my stumps out.
Sai did his Trigger. Back and across. He watched the hand. Fast. Full. Middle stump.
Sai didn't try to block it. He waited. He waited until the ball was under his eyes. Then, he rolled his wrists and used the pace.
[CLICK]
He flicked it. Not a power shot. A deflection. The ball pinged off the middle of the bat, shot through the gap between mid-on and mid-wicket.
Because the fielders were close, the ball raced past them before they could dive. The turf outfield was lightning fast.
Four.
The wicketkeeper stopped laughing. The bowler frowned.
Sai tapped the pitch. He looked at the scoreboard. 96 runs to go.
Time to annoy them.