Chapter 12: Trial Day [2]
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(Coach Sarma POV)
The boys were running there last lap but today I spotted a boy around age of 12 to 13 year by his look.
This boy was running like a professional but it also so his experience in training, like he has done it everyday.
I turn my view on other boys who has similar that boy age but what I saw make me more know about that kid..
Because other kid of same age group was laying down of ground as they were gasping for breath but this kid ..
'what was his name again? .... Ahh, I remember its raghav but why didn't I know that there was some of this good physique in the school '
As I was thinking I turn my all attention to him and I keep staring at him, so I can analyse more.
' If he is this good than he can be good seedling to be trained in substitute for the team '
As the run complete but this lad raghav didn't show any tiredness reaction it's like he his full of energy and he can run two or three more laps like this.
' I shouldn't miss this lad but I will decide after looking his batting style.....that should I keep him or not '
So I put a small tick mark on his clip board next to his name for further observation.
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The net sessions were divided by age group and with the boys broken into groups according to there age. This was the main event. A new rush of nervousness came upon Raghav.
He was little nervous because there is a saying that doing practice is another thing but applying it in a real match is a different matter.
So I take deep breaths to calm my inner nervousness and keep telling myself to do what I have been doing in training much repeat the same thing here.
As I was watching everyone go there one by one and show there batting skill and this keep repeating untill this turn came.
As this was his turn to bat, he walked towards the net with his heart racing against his ribs.
He stand in his crease and a wicket keeper behind his back.
The bowler was a lanky tenth-grader with the ability to get the ball moving rather fast.
The first ball was a miss because it was a fast ball and he was unable to react on time.
The ball tore off a little and smashed between his uncertain thrust and as the ball went behind with 'bang' sound into the wicketkeeper.
It was inconceivably quick, on a different plane with the tennis ball of Abhinav.
The second ball was directed to his ribs. He made an effort to fight it off but it was too fast. He was thrown off by a very sharp thud on the thigh pad, which brought snickers to the boys wasting time out of doors before the net.
Panic began to set in.
His system ratings, Strength13 ,Batting Technique 12, seemed pathetically weak.
The other boys, gifted in nature like Vikram, worked the ball with little trouble and the whack of leather and willow seemed to have confidence.
Raghav was just surviving.
The 42 year old or the past self in him had taken control and he was about to lose his composure to swing wildly in frustration.
Years of experience playing cricket in my youth of college days told me that panic is useless in this situation because only by analysing and adapting is the only way of my survival today.
He sighed deeply and as he made himself relax because he knew that he couldn't compete with these boys in terms of strength or the time of effort and hard work that they put into their practice.
Now he changed his objective to earn more runs for points because he grasps the essence that it is not about how many runs you make but it is about how you defend all the balls .
Because at that time a cricketer's main responsibility was to guard his wicket and earn runs for his team. It's not about individuals, it's about the team.
Then he remembers the famous quotes of The Great Virat Kohli , as he said—
"No cricket team in the world depends on one or two players. The team always plays to win."
He kept repeating his sentence in his mind then suddenly he got an idea .
The bowler looked at me strangely and asked.
" Boy are you alright.. should I continue bowling"
Raghav looked at the eyes of the bowler , as he took a deep breath as he was going to implement his idea in his playing style..
He altered his position and made it more defensive and made his backlift stance with his bat ready for the bowling.
" I am ready" I said to the bowler and the bowler also nodded in response.
The bowler went black from his bowling crease to do the bowling run to build up the momentum for the speed.
He concentrated his gaze in a way that was bordering obsession and his world reduced to the 22 yards between him and the bowler.
The next ball pitched up. .
He was going to swing it, instead of swinging it he smacked it with a dead bat, and the ball fell harmlessly at his feet.
The follow up one deliver was a short ball and he did not attempt to strike it but he stop the ball with his front foot stance.
The following ball that was delivered was a straight and fast ball.
He lowered his bat, and his grip was solid, and offered a good block of defence.
The ball struck in the middle of the bat and was stopped.
The camera work was hideous and monotonous.
He wasn't scoring runs.
Yet he stayed at the crease.
Other flashy batsmen struck Raghav a number of times and bowled or caught, but he merely defended, retreated, and escaped.
He was not aware that Mr. Sharma had been standing behind his net in the past five minutes staring at him.
The first struggle was the fear, which was observed by the coach.
but then he perceived the accommodation.
He encountered a boy who rather than panicking began to think.
The coach noticed him who treasured his wicket and as he displayed grit.
As he stood and observed Vikram and his hard hits off the cover, he saw the skinny little determined boy who was not prepared to surrender his wicket.
Raghav took his twenty balls allotted and walked out of the net without having hit a single run off the bat.
He felt like a failure.
The other boys did not pay him any attention, and were already talking of who had struck the best hits.
The remainder of the day he spent in fielding.
His new body strength allowed him to run after balls inexhaustibly despite the fact that he could wish to make weak throws.
He stayed secluded and believed that he was not a good enough person.
Mr. Sharma assembled people at the close of the day.
In five minutes, I will put up the list of tomorrow, in the notice board, he said.
"Thanks to all of you, coming here and lastly, those whose names are not on the list , don't give up , so work harder for next year."
There was an embarrassed silence and the boys crowded round the notice board.
Raghav was standing awaiting the result.
He saw boys whooped with joy and walked off with their slumped shoulders.
He mentally prepared himself, even if he faced the same result like his previous life he would not give up his goal and with this attitude he approached the board.
There were two lists on the board.He glanced at the first list and he looked through the selected fifteen names in the first list.
But his name was not there on this list.His heart sank and demotivated thoughts came to his mind.
'Of course,why should he have been chosen?….I didn't score a single run.'
Then he turned to search for his name on the second list, but he didn't spot his name till 26 names ,now the little hope on him already given up…but make sure didn't make mistakes,he once more glanced downwards, as he descended to see and at last came to the final name of the list, to be sure and certain of his hope.
And then he saw it, that the last name on the list was his name written there but to him it was like an illusion....so he rubbed his eyes and again stared at .
But the outcome didn't change and his name was there.
30.Raghav Roi, Class 7
He looked at his name and a giddiness of relief overwhelmed him.
He had made it into the school team with his efforts.
It was not a very glorious victory, a mere, marginal, bitter, foothold on the lowest rung of the ladder.
But to Raghav it was the first step that he had taken and proof that his destiny can be changed.
Now he had a chance to make up for all his regrets.
(To be continued)