Chapter 68: The Silence of the Sea
The Wankhede Stadium didn't just vibrate; it breathed. It inhaled the anticipation of thirty-three thousand worshipers and exhaled a roar that sounded less like a cheer and more like a religious chant.
"SACHIN... SACH-IN! Clap-Clap-Clap."
The echo of the straight drive—that pristine, physics-defying punch that sent the ball racing to the boundary—hung in the humid Mumbai air.
[COMMENTARY BOX]
Ravi Shastri: "Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen! The Prince has knocked on the door, but the King has answered with a cannon! That straight drive wasn't just four runs; it was a statement. It said, 'You might be the future, kid, but I am the present.'"
Harsha Bhogle: "Absolute poetry, Ravi. Aryan Sharma bowled a 145kmph nip-backer, a ball that would have castled most batsmen. Tendulkar just leaned into it. The Wankhede is shaking! Look at the decibel meter! It's touching 115!"
Somewhere in a Dadar Chawl (Random Audience Reaction)
