Chapter 4: Gully Cricket [1]
There was a playfield behind the house of Raghav, a narrow lane.Then Raghav and Abhi went there to play cricket on that ground.
Other basic equipment to play cricket was unavailable to them, therefore, on one side they used a dull brick wall as a wicket and three old white lines were drawn on it.
The ground was hard dry with crack gap because of summer season there playing pitch is dry and dusty.
This ground was only playground for them aside school ground so then the pitch is not good they have to adjust it.
But nobody care about ground like his friend Abhinav Varma, who is arguing with another boy that he want to do bowling first as he brought the ball.
He state the rule that the person who brings ball must be first to ball and the person who also bring bat must be first to bat.
And this why it called gully cricket because we have own rule.
It was a gully cricket to all Indian boys in their boyhood, as it was passionate , engaging, and the purest game of all the game Raghav had heard of.
These afternoons were a mere pleasure in his past existence. They had been his training ground now.
Raghav had a smile in face. It displays the extent of his lack of these days. Tension of job, family, money no longer exists since he is back to his days of freedom.
"Raghav, finally!" Abhi smiled, and threw him the ball.
"You're batting first. Before Ajay mom calls him in to do his homework we have to score fast and finish the match.
Raghav picked up the bat, the wood of which, though cheap, was foreign and yet very familiar.
He took his stance. He could see the ideal balance of Sachin, the minimal crouch, the frozen head still in his mind.
He attempted to imitate it, yet his 12 year old body was like a puppet with twisted ropes. His back was all straight, his hold was awkward.
The mind of the 42 year old was aware of the theory/technique, but the 12 year old himself was unaware of the theory/technique at this time.
Abhi walked back for a pick up run a step or two and the tennis ball, which in has started moving as soon as he throw the ball from his hand . The ball spin faster towards him, it was a good length ball.
The ball came fast as it was a good length ball.
Then he want to go forward and give shot a on drive.
But unknowingly some instinct kick him and stop his actions that trained by future practice and used in watching professionals, screamed out that he must pull.
His manly reason didn't perform that shot because his mind reaction speed and body doesn't match up.
At that time his body? His body flinched and convusle[1] in his back muscles and results is that the ball bumped in the brick wall (wicket ) in the back of him with a loud ~whack.
"Out!" said by Ajay, the self-qualified umpire.
"First ball is trial ball!" I refute the OUT decision.
All the boys who fielding laughed out at his reasoning. Young Raghav would have laughed normally. But there was something stinking with shame and frustration in the 42 year old within him.
It was his Cricket IQ, a curse and a blessing at the same time; his Cricket IQ enabled him to see his own glaring inadequacies perfectly and more clearly.
"It is only a game, man, it is only a game'"Abhi thought said to his friend and he picking up the ball and ready to Ball.
They didn't agree with his reasoning of trial ball.
Then Abhi came forward to give the bowl for bowling.
"Your turn to bowl."
But Raghav shook his head. "Let me face a few more...Please just practice for practice."
Abhi directly refuse him in his face by saying .
"NO..others are also waiting for there turn if we waste more time than others will return home."
Raghav don't know what to say as he was planing how to convince ahbi now.
'I can denied his answer but I have to play 10 balls for the mission.'
'It seems like I have to used Abhi Weakness to convince him '
Next moment Raghav said.
"Please..Just ten more ball for practice...last ten ball '
Raghav gazes at Abhi with tearful faces and this leaves Abhi emotional and to induce him to change his mind.
Raghav noticed the abhi got emotional as he can see his eyes were started to get wet.
'Always a good-natured fellow'
Abhi shrugged. "Okay, but we will not count in our score table as your score is Zero now. ".
Raghav nod to Abhi, " yes"
As Abhi agree, Raghav remeber one of his regret.
'Abhi is emotional as everyone and this was also his weakness in the future since he died committing suicide due got cheated by his girlfriend.'
Raghav says in his low voice " what a sentimental dummy this guy is.
Abhi who was about to bowled was looking at Raghav as he had not heard what was said and so he enquired. "What did you say?"
Raghav shakes his head.
"No...I said nothing... you go on with your bowling."
Then Raghav tightened his bat grip and make a promise to himself.
'I will change the outcome this time as it with will different this time because I never let the bitch to get together with my best friend,' he said and took his bat firmly in his hand.
Abhi nodded and he shifted his concentration on bowling.
He again bowled with a full toss ball delivery.
This was the time when Raghav was not interested in scoring, but in surviving. He swung his bat down, and attempted to hit the ball midway.
He was late to react again but luck was his side as he was standing in the same pose the ball automatically hit the bat.
But the surprising thing is that his system count it as defence pose.
[ Mission Progress : 1/10]
Now he had face one ball and nine are yet to faced.
Sunil , one of his friends who was fielding at the mid-off stop the ball and immediately throw back to Abhi.
Abhi catch the ball and ready to Ball his second ball bowling.
The second one hurled in all swing and he missed to strike.
The third ball was a full toss Ball so he forward strike with bat and send a long off direction hit.
[Mission Progress: 2/10]
The fourth ball bowling was a full toss,he made a feeble push on Ajay side.
[Mission Progress: 3/10]
Fifth came was yorker and he maintained defence and hit the ball with straight drive.
[Mission Progress: 4/10]
It was a painful process from him to stand in defence.
His mind was like a supercomputer . He was a modem era person but was an old and slow machine that was not very reliable. He did not resemble any professional cricketer, but looked more a wild batsman.[2]
Yet was persisted and simply concentrating on receiving the ball in any from like yorker, full tose bouncer, short ball now his main goal is to defend.
On the tenth delivery, there was a clicking. Abhi ball a yorker and Raghav was expecting it so he easy to hit a straight drive.
[Mission Progress: 9/10]
(To be Continue)
[1] meaning: suffer violent involuntary contraction of the muscles, producing contortion of the body or limbs."she convulsed, collapsing to the floor with the pain"
[2] Learn everything by himself it can be seeing others or copying others.