Although Abhay had already seen this match once in his previous life, watching it again, this time inside the stadium, was an entirely different experience.
When Sri Lanka batted first, every six brought an eerie hush over the crowd. Tens of thousands of people falling silent at once, as if holding their breath. And then, whenever a wicket fell, the silence shattered, roars erupting from every direction, echoing through the stands.
It was overwhelming in the best way.
Abhay felt every moment of it.
When India came out to bat, the stadium was practically shaking. People were on their feet, flags waving, voices already hoarse from shouting.
Then came the early blows.
Sehwag was gone. Sachin followed soon after.
The energy shifted instantly.
The noise didn't disappear, but it changed. It became tense, restrained. Nervous murmurs replaced carefree cheering. Even Abhay felt it, despite knowing exactly how this match would end.
Still, he watched with rapt attention.
He saw the legendary moment again, the quiet, symbolic passing of the torch. Sachin walking back, Kohli standing tall, the future stepping forward as the past made way.
That alone made him smile.
The innings progressed, the pressure slowly easing as partnerships formed and runs ticked along. And then, finally, the moment arrived.
4 runs needed. 11 balls remaining.
By now, everyone knew.
Abhay moved toward the railing at the front of the VIP stand and peered down. From this height, the crowd below looked like a sea of tiny figures, ants in constant motion. And yet, their voices rose together.
Vande Mataram.
Perfectly synchronized.
He pulled out the Indian flag he had brought with him. It was larger than him, the fabric heavy in his small hands. He stood right at the edge of the railing, lifting it high.
"Abhay!" his mother called sharply, worry clear in her voice.
He didn't turn back.
After a moment, she sighed and only said, "Be careful."
He nodded without looking away.
Then it happened.
The ball sailed through the air.
For a split second, there was silence and then the stadium exploded.
Fireworks lit up the sky, but they were nothing compared to the emotion pouring out of the people themselves. Strangers hugged. Grown men cried. Voices cracked as chants filled the air again.
In the VIP stands, everyone stood, clapping and celebrating wildly.
At the very edge, Abhay waved the Indian flag with a bright, unrestrained smile.
But beneath that joy, something else settled quietly inside him.
A promise.
One day.
He would be down there.
And he would win the World Cup himself.
~~~
India winning the World Cup turned into a grand affair for the entire country.
Cricket worship, already intense, climbed to an entirely new level. Streets were still decorated weeks later, discussions carried on endlessly, and even the smallest local matches began drawing crowds.
The DDCA League felt it too.
More people started turning up to watch the games, some out of genuine love for cricket, others simply curious. Abhay enjoyed it more than he expected. Performing in front of spectators, especially when half of them were waiting for him to fail, brought a quiet satisfaction.
Proving them wrong never got old.
By the time May arrived, WDCA had already won 11 out of 14 matches. That was more than enough to secure qualification for the semi-finals, and the coaches decided it was time to manage workloads.
A few players were rested.
Abhay was asked to rest as well. But before stepping aside, he requested to play one last match.
It was against Pearls Cricket Academy, a smaller outfit that still had everything to play for. They needed just one more win to qualify for the semi-finals, and the match carried genuine stakes for them.
Abhay didn't harbor any grudge or revenge fantasy against Pearls.
This match was about something else.
He wanted to test himself.
A full-length innings and a full bowling quota with no shortcuts.
He wanted to bat through the entire 40 overs and then bowl the maximum allowed 8 overs, just to see how his body and focus held up over a complete match.
With that in mind, he approached Coach Abhimanyu with an unusual request.
"I want to open," Abhay said calmly.
The coach didn't respond immediately. He considered it for a moment, weighing risk against intent. Opening at this level wasn't easy, especially for someone who usually controlled the middle order.
But Abhay wasn't asking on a whim.
After some thought, Abhimanyu nodded. "Alright," he said. "We'll try it."
Match day arrived soon after.
Both teams assembled at the ground under a clear sky. The captains walked out for the toss, Ashnir representing WDCA, and Pearls' captain standing opposite him.
The coin went up and WDCA won the toss. Ashnir didn't hesitate and he chose to bat first.
Abhay adjusted his pads near the boundary, eyes already on the pitch.
This wasn't about qualification.
This was a test and he was ready for it.
~
WDCA walked out to bat with intent.
There was no nervousness, no talk of "seeing off the new ball." Abhay and Ashnir took their places at the crease, exchanged a quick nod, and settled in.
From the very first ball, it was clear, this was not going to be a cautious innings.
First Over
Ball 1: Full on middle. Abhay stepped into it and drove straight, the ball racing past the bowler.
Four.
Ashnir smiled at the non-striker's end.
Ball 2: Shorter this time. Abhay rocked back and pulled along the ground.
Four again.
The tone was set immediately.
Pearls tried tightening their lines, but both batters were already in rhythm. Ashnir joined in just as aggressively, punishing width and leaning into anything overpitched.
By the end of the 5th over, WDCA had flown.
[WDCA 52/0]
No risks. Just clean hitting.
Pearls turned to spin early but it didn't help.
Abhay used his feet with precision, sometimes advancing fully, sometimes just enough to disturb the bowler's length. Ashnir, meanwhile, played with classical authority, driving on the up and working the ball through midwicket with effortless timing.
Then came a quieter phase, the 11th to 14th Overs
The bowlers slowed things down with tighter fields. The batters responded intelligently.
Singles, quick twos and occasional boundary when offered without any rush.
By the 15th over [WDCA 124/0]
Both batters were set. Both untroubled.
In the 18th Over Abhay was on strike.
Ball 1: Short and wide but he cut hard.
Four.
Ball 2: Dragged down. Abhay went back and pulled flat.
Six.
Ball 3: Slower ball. He waited and lofted.
Four more.
The bowler tried to reset but it didn't matter.
Ball 4: A full length but Abhay hit it straight down the ground.
Six.
The crowd stirred. Even neutral parents leaned forward now.
Ashnir took over the next over, driving two consecutive boundaries through cover and mid-off.
By the 20th over:
[WDCA 182/0]
The run rate was climbing, but it never felt reckless.
~
By the 24th over, Abhay sat on 99.
The bowler tossed it up, trying to tempt him.
Abhay stepped out and lofted it toward long-on.
The fielder ran in but he misjudged and the ball slipped straight through his hands.
Gasps echoed around the ground.
Abhay didn't react much, he jogged back, bat tucked under his arm but a sigh of relief exited his mouth.
Next ball.
The bowler shortened his length.
Abhay cleared his front leg and swung freely.
The ball sailed high.
Six.
Abhay raised his bat with a soft smile towards the crowd.
[ABHAY 105]
Ashnir tapped his gloves in approval.
The 26th to 30th Overs were for control and they pulled things back slightly after that with no unnecessary risks.
Ashnir reached his half-century, then pushed on methodically. Abhay rotated strike more, picking gaps, letting the bowlers tire.
By the 30th over:
[WDCA 252/0]
[ABHAY 150*]
[ASHNIR 80*]
Pearls looked drained but the last ten overs were even more brutal.
33rd Over
Ball 1: Full. Cover drive. Four.
Ball 2: Short. Pull. Six.
Ball 3: Wide. Cut. Four.
Ball 4: Ashnir brought up his century with a crisp drive through extra cover.
He raised his bat briefly, smiling widely.
[ASHNIR 100]
Abhay, meanwhile, shifted gears completely. Scoops, pulls, straight hits, anything remotely loose was punished.
38th Over
Ball 1: Yorker missed. Six.
Ball 2: Slower ball, waited and swept away for Four.
Ball 3: Short. Pulled. Six.
Ball 4: Full. Straight. Six.
Pearls stopped chasing the ball. They just waited for the over to end.
~
By the time the innings closed
[WDCA 335/0]
[40 OVERS]
Abhay stood at the crease, helmet off, chest rising steadily.
[ABHAY 210 (150)]
[ASHNIR 110 (90)]
[EXTRAS 15]
They both punched the gloves with big smiles on their faces. Ashnir clapped Abhay on the back. "Good test?" he asked.
Abhay smiled. "Perfect."
He had batted the full innings And he felt like he could do it again tomorrow.
~~~
Pearls Cricket Academy walked out knowing the task in front of them.
336 runs.
On a pitch that had already begun to slow, it was less a chase and more a test of pride.
They started aggressively, as expected. Their openers swung freely, looking to make the most of the field restrictions. A couple of boundaries came early, but wickets followed just as quickly.
WDCA's pacers struck twice inside the first five overs, forcing Pearls onto the back foot almost immediately.
[PEARLS 32/2]
Abhay was brought on in the 7th over.
His aim was not to attack recklessly, but to choke.
From the first ball, his intent was clear. Back-of-a-length deliveries, subtle changes in pace, and a tight off-stump line. The batters tried to force shots, but timing refused to come.
Ball 1: Good length, angled across. The batter defended cautiously. DOT.
Ball 2: Slightly fuller. Pushed back down the pitch. DOT.
Ball 3: Short of a length. Late cut attempted but missed. DOT.
Ball 4: Slower delivery. Bat beaten. DOT.
Ball 5: On the pads. Blocked, no run. DOT.
Ball 6: Good length again. Soft hands, straight to cover, but straight to fielder. DOT.
A maiden over in such a high score chase was a death sentence for the Pearls. They tried rotating strike from the other end, but WDCA's fielding tightened. Abhay set his own fields carefully, pulling a fielder a step squarer, pushing another deeper.
In the 10th over, Pearls attempted a risky single.
The ball was pushed into the gap, but Abhay was already moving.
He sprinted in, picked the ball cleanly with one hand, and released in the same motion, a flat throw that hit the keeper's gloves chest-high.
The batter was short by a full step.
Run out.
[PEARLS 61/3]
Abhay was called over for his next over.
Ball 1: Good length. Single to mid-on.
Ball 2: Slower ball. Defended. DOT.
Ball 3: Short. Cut, but straight to point. DOT.
Ball 4: Full. Driven gently for one.
Ball 5: On off stump. Beaten. DOT.
Ball 6: Short of a length. Pulled straight to mid-wicket for a single.
Just three runs and pressure continued to build.
~
Pearls crossed 100 runs in the 15th over, but the required rate had ballooned beyond reach. Wickets kept falling as batters tried to force the pace.
Abhay returned for his third spell in the 17th over.
This time, he attacked.
Ball 1: Shorter length. The batter went for the pull but it hit the top edge. Abhay backpedaled two steps, adjusted mid-stride, and caught it cleanly over his shoulder.
WICKET.
Ball 2: New batter. Good length, just outside off, but it was defended.
Ball 3: Fuller, slightly quicker. The batter drove hard, but it hit the inside edge and the off stump shattered.
Abhay turned, eyes briefly following the broken stumps with a smile.
Two wickets in three balls. The over ended quietly, but Pearls were done.
From there, the collapse was inevitable.
WDCA's bowlers cleaned up the tail efficiently. Abhay picked up few more wickets later, this time inducing a mistimed lofted shot that was safely taken at long-on, and two directly hitting the stumps.
He finished his spell without fuss.
[ABHAY – 8 OVERS, 2 MAIDENS, 27 RUNS, 5 WICKETS]
Pearls were bowled out in the 23rd over.
[PEARLS 167 ALL OUT]
[23 OVERS]
The match ended without drama.
WDCA players gathered briefly, exchanged handshakes, and walked off calmly.
Abhay collected the ball he had bowled with, rolled it once in his hands, then handed it to the umpire.
Another complete match, this time with contribution in all three, batting, bowling and fielding. He had tested himself exactly the way he wanted and passed.
~~~~~
{Poor Pearls Academy kids, but what can we do, anyway, this was my first time writing Abhay doing all three things at once, so tell me what you guys thought about it, any thing for me to improve?}