Date: December 28th, 2012.
Location: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad.
Event: 2nd T20I, Pakistan Tour of India.
Series Status: India leads 1-0.
The winter chill of Ahmedabad was entirely offset by the raging fever inside the Motera Stadium. Over fifty thousand fans had crammed into the concrete bowl, their collective breath creating a hazy fog above the floodlights.
India had drawn first blood in Bangalore, a victory sealed by Siddanth Deva's tactical genius and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's magical debut. Tonight, Pakistan had their backs against the wall. A loss here meant surrendering the T20 series to their arch-rivals.
High above the roaring sea of tricolors, the Star Sports commentary team set the stage.
Ravi Shastri: "A very good evening from Ahmedabad! If you thought Bangalore was loud, Motera is absolutely deafening. This is a fortress for the Men in Blue, and tonight, they are looking for the kill. I'm joined by Sunil Gavaskar and Ramiz Raja. Ramiz, it's do or die for Pakistan tonight. They looked rattled by Deva's assault in the first game. How do they bounce back?"
Ramiz Raja: "It's entirely about mental fortitude, Ravi. Pakistan has the talent. Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal looked good in patches, but they let the pressure of the death overs get to them. Tonight, they must post a massive total. You cannot defend 150 against this Indian batting lineup, not when Siddanth Deva is batting like a man who sees the ball as the size of a football."
Sunil Gavaskar: "The scary part for Pakistan is that Deva wasn't even at his absolute best in Bangalore, yet he scored a 12-ball fifty. He was just having fun. When he actually dials in, it's terrifying for the bowlers. However, MS Dhoni has won the toss again."
Down in the middle, the coin had favored the Indian captain.
MS Dhoni: "We are going to bowl first, Ravi. The dew is already forming on the outfield. It's going to get very difficult to grip the ball in the second innings. We back our chasing ability. The team is unchanged. Bhuvi was brilliant, and we want to give him another go with the new ball."
Mohammad Hafeez: "We wanted to bat anyway. We need to be positive. We have to attack the Indian pacers early and put 180-plus on the board. We have made one change; Umar Gul is back in to add some experience to our death bowling."
---
Pakistan walked out with a mandate for violence. Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad took the attack to the Indian new-ball bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the hero of Bangalore, found that the Motera pitch offered zero swing.
Jamshed brutalized the off-side, crashing three boundaries in the second over. By the end of the Powerplay, Pakistan was flying at 58/0.
Over 8: R. Ashwin to Ahmed Shehzad
Shehzad stepped down the track and launched Ashwin into the second tier over long-on.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Massive! Shehzad is putting on a show! He doesn't care about the reputation of the bowler. Pakistan are looking incredibly dangerous tonight!"
Dhoni threw the ball to his Vice-Captain. He needed the bleeding to stop.
Over 10: Siddanth Deva to Nasir Jamshed
Deva marked his run-up. He knew pace wouldn't work on this flat deck; he needed variations.
9.3: Deva rolled his fingers over the seam. A 118 kmph off-cutter. Jamshed, expecting a 145 kmph thunderbolt, swung entirely too early. The ball gripped the dry surface, took the top edge, and swirled high into the night sky.
MS Dhoni calmly settled under it.
WICKET (Jamshed 41). Pakistan 82/1.
Despite the breakthrough, Umar Akmal joined Shehzad and accelerated. Akmal played a blinding cameo of 55 off just 26 balls, targeting the spinners.
As the innings entered the death overs, Pakistan was 165/3 in 17 overs. They were eyeing 200.
Over 18: Siddanth Deva to Umar Akmal
17.1: Deva went round the wicket. He nailed a searing 150 kmph yorker right at the base of middle stump. Akmal couldn't get his bat down in time.
CRASH.
WICKET (Umar Akmal 55).
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"TIMBER! What a yorker! Deva breaks the stumps and breaks the momentum! That is pure, unadulterated pace!"
Deva gave away only 5 runs in the 18th over, effectively applying the brakes. Pakistan eventually finished their innings on 192/5.
Innings Break Commentary:
Ramiz Raja: "192 is a fantastic score! Umar Akmal played a blinder. But I must say, Deva's 18th over saved India at least 15 runs. Now, the Pakistani bowlers have something substantial to defend. Game on!"
---
Target: 193.
Required Rate: 9.65.
Chasing 193 in a high-pressure derby was never going to be a walk in the park. The Pakistani pacers, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir, knew they needed early wickets.
Over 2.4: Umar Gul to Ajinkya Rahane
Gul bowled a beautiful, dipping slower ball. Rahane, trying to force the pace over mid-on, completely mistimed it. The ball lobbed gently to Shahid Afridi.
WICKET (Rahane 12). India 24/1.
A roar went up from the small contingent of Pakistani fans.
The giant screen flashed: Next Batsman - Siddanth Deva.
The Motera stadium erupted. The noise was a physical entity, shaking the dust from the rafters. Deva walked out to the middle, his stride unhurried, his eyes cold. He tapped gloves with Rohit Sharma.
"Pitch is beautiful, Sid," Rohit said. "Ball is coming on perfectly. Let's not wait."
"I'm not planning to," Deva replied.
Over 4: Sohail Tanvir to Deva
Tanvir, with his unorthodox, wrong-footed action, angled the ball across Deva.
3.1: Deva didn't take a sighter. He shuffled across his stumps, dropped to one knee, and scooped the 140 kmph delivery outrageously over fine leg.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"First ball! Are you kidding me?! He scoops it over fine leg for six! He treats Tanvir like a net bowler! The absolute arrogance of the man!"(SIX)
3.2: Tanvir, panicked, bowled a wide yorker.
Deva stayed deep in his crease, opened the face of the bat, and carved it surgically past backward point.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Sliced away for four! The placement is millimeter perfect. He is dissecting the field!"(FOUR)
Rohit Sharma fell in the 6th over for 25, caught in the deep trying to clear Saeed Ajmal. India 65/2.
Virat Kohli walked in at Number 4. The partnership that had terrorized world cricket was reunited.
What followed was not a cricket match; it was an execution.
Deva didn't just target the pacers; he specifically went after Pakistan's premier weapon, Saeed Ajmal.
Over 10: Saeed Ajmal to Deva
Deva was on 42 off 18 balls.
9.3: Ajmal bowled his mystery doosra. Deva stepped down the track, got to the pitch of the ball, and launched it into the second tier over long-on.
[Commentary - Ramiz Raja]:"Oh my word! He has picked the doosra from the hand! That is a colossal strike! He has sent Ajmal into orbit!"(SIX)
9.4: Ajmal fired it in flat and fast. Deva rocked onto his back foot and pulled it ferociously through mid-wicket.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"CRACKED! That sounded like a gunshot! Nobody moved! Deva brings up his fifty in just 20 balls!"(FOUR)
Kohli, feeding off Deva's otherworldly rhythm, rotated the strike flawlessly and hit the bad balls to the fence. The 100-run partnership came up in just 45 balls.
Over 14: Shahid Afridi to Deva
The required rate was dropping like a stone, but Deva wanted to finish it early. He wanted to break their spirit before the ODI series.
13.1: Afridi bowled a quick leg-break. Deva reverse-swept it powerfully past short third man. (FOUR)
13.3: Afridi tossed it up. Deva stepped out and lofted it flawlessly straight down the ground. It cleared the sightscreen. (SIX)
13.5: Afridi tried to bowl a yorker. Deva converted it into a full toss and whipped it over deep square leg. (SIX)
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"This is carnage! Absolute carnage in Ahmedabad! Shahid Afridi doesn't know where to look. Hafeez has his hands on his head. Deva is playing a video game on the lowest difficulty setting!"
In the 16th over, Deva faced Umar Gul. He needed 4 runs for his century.
15.4: Gul bowled a slower bouncer. Deva waited, swiveled, and hooked it magnificently into the crowd.
CENTURY FOR SIDDANTH DEVA.
100 off 41 balls. He took off his helmet and raised his bat and acknowledged the applause.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"A HUNDRED IN 41 BALLS! He has utterly humiliated the Pakistani bowling attack! He is not just a player; he is a force of nature!"
The match ended in the 17th over. Kohli (35* off 28) hit the winning boundary.
Final Score: India 194/2 (16.4 Overs).
Siddanth Deva: 118* off 45 balls (12 Fours, 8 Sixes).
---
Ravi Shastri: "Man of the Match, Siddanth Deva. Sid, 193 looked like a tough chase. You made it look like a joke."
Deva: "The pitch was fantastic, Ravi bhai. Once the dew set in, the ball was skidding onto the bat beautifully. Virat and I just decided to back our instincts. If it was in the arc, it had to go out of the park."
Shastri: "You picked Ajmal so well today. Was that part of the plan?"
Deva: "You can't let a bowler of his quality settle. You have to take the fight to him. It worked out today."
Series Result: India wins the T20I Series 2-0.
Back in the dressing room, Deva checked his phone.
Headache:Okay, 118 off 45 is ridiculous but for you it is like piece of cake. Are you using a cheat code? Did you install an engine in your bat?
Me:Just pure, unadulterated talent, Shorty. And a lot of protein.
Headache:Whatever. My dad is currently arguing with the TV, claiming you are better than Vivian Richards. It's a madhouse here. Bring this form to Chennai. The ODIs are going to be fun.
---
Date: December 30th, 2012.
Location: M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.
Event: 1st ODI, Pakistan Tour of India.
The circus moved South. The format changed from the 20-over sprint to the 50-over marathon. Chennai welcomed the teams with its trademark oppressive heat and stifling humidity. The Chepauk pitch was a dry, dusty expanse that promised slow turn and variable bounce—a stark contrast to the flat deck of Motera.
Pre-Match Commentary:
Sunil Gavaskar: "Welcome to Chennai! The heat is searing, and the pitch is a typical Chepauk turner. The team winning the toss must bat first. Chasing under lights against Ajmal on this track is asking for trouble."
Ramiz Raja: "Pakistan must forget the T20s. This is a new format. Junaid Khan is playing today, and he has a fantastic record with the new ball. If he can expose the Indian middle order early, Pakistan is in business."
The Toss:
MS Dhoni flipped the coin. Misbah-ul-Haq called Tails.
It was Heads.
Dhoni: "We will bat first. The wicket looks dry, it will definitely slow down as the day progresses. It's my home ground in the IPL, so I know how it behaves. The boys are hydrated and ready."
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Siddanth Deva (vc), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma.
The Indian openers, Sehwag and Rohit, walked out. The crowd roared.
Junaid Khan, the young Pakistani left-arm pacer, took the new ball.
What followed was a devastating exhibition of swing bowling.
Junaid pitched the ball up, moving it viciously in the air and off the pitch.
Over 1.4: Junaid to Sehwag. An inswinger that pitched on middle and uprooted the off-stump. Sehwag was castled for a duck.
WICKET (Sehwag 0). India 4/1.
Over 3.2: Junaid to Kohli. The ball swung away incredibly late. Kohli, trying to defend, found a thick outside edge. Caught at slip.
WICKET (Kohli 2). India 18/2.
Over 5.5: Junaid to Rohit. A sharp, rising delivery that cramped Rohit. He chopped it onto his own stumps.
WICKET (Rohit 11). India 29/3.
The Chepauk stadium was stunned into absolute, horrified silence. In less than six overs, the Indian top three had been annihilated by Junaid Khan. The score was a catastrophic 29/3.
Yuvraj Singh walked out to the middle to join Siddanth Deva.
The heat was unbearable. The pitch was misbehaving. The Pakistani fielders were swarming, chirping relentlessly.
"Tough start, Sid," Yuvraj said, wiping his face with his sleeve. "The ball is hooping around."
"Play it late, Yuvi paaji," Deva said, tapping the pitch. "We need to survive Junaid's spell. We take no risks."
Deva activated the [Chanderpaul Template]. He went into his shell. For the next fifteen overs, it was a display of ugly, gritty, pure survival cricket. He left the ball beautifully. He took blows on the thigh pad from Mohammad Irfan. He and Yuvraj scraped for every single run.
By the 20th over, they had painstakingly dragged the score to 85/3.
But disaster struck again in the 24th over. Yuvraj, trying to break the shackles against Saeed Ajmal, missed a sweep shot and was given out LBW.
WICKET (Yuvraj 28). India 102/4.
Enter MS Dhoni.
The local hero walked out to a massive roar. He met his Vice-Captain in the middle. The score was 102/4 in 24 overs. The projected score was barely 220.
"We have time," Dhoni said calmly, his eyes unblinking behind his visor. "We bat till the 40th over. Then we see."
"Understood, Skipper," Deva replied.
For the next ten overs, Dhoni and Deva put on a masterclass in strike rotation in the blistering Chennai heat. They didn't hit a single boundary. They ran ones and twos, turning the massive outfield into their advantage, exhausting the Pakistani fielders.
By the end of the 35th over, India was 155/4.
Deva had reached his fifty off 72 balls—a stark contrast to his 41-ball century in the previous match. This was an innings of immense maturity.
As the drinks break concluded at the 35-over mark, Dhoni looked at Deva. They were both soaked in sweat, their jerseys clinging to their bodies.
"We have 15 overs," Dhoni said. "We have wickets in hand. Time to change gears."
Deva smiled.
Over 36: Umar Gul to Deva
35.1: Deva stepped down the track and lofted Gul over extra cover. FOUR.
35.3: Deva shuffled across and scooped Gul over fine leg. SIX.
35.5: Deva whipped a full toss through mid-wicket. FOUR.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"The shackles are broken! Deva has decided that the consolidation phase is over! He is taking the attack to Umar Gul!"
The momentum shifted violently. Deva and Dhoni began to dismantle the Pakistani attack. The heat no longer seemed to bother them; they were operating on pure adrenaline.
Deva reached his century in the 42nd over off 105 balls. He didn't celebrate. He just bumped gloves with Dhoni and marked his guard again.
Over 45: Saeed Ajmal to Deva
Ajmal, who had been economical, was taken to the cleaners.
44.2: Deva slog-swept him over deep square leg. SIX.
44.4: Deva reverse-swept him past point. FOUR.
44.6: Deva hit him straight down the ground. SIX.
[Commentary - Ramiz Raja]:"He is destroying the best spinner in the world! Ajmal has absolutely no answers! Deva has moved to 145! He is seeing it like a beachball!"
Dhoni, at the other end, was matching him blow for blow. The captain launched Irfan into the stands for three massive sixes, reaching his own half-century in blazing time.
Over 48: Junaid Khan Returns
The wrecker-in-chief was brought back. Deva was on 182.
47.1: Junaid bowled a searing yorker. Deva stepped deep into his crease, opened the face, and sliced it backward of point. FOUR.
47.3: Short ball. Deva hooked it flat over fine leg. SIX.
47.5: Full toss. Deva drove it through covers. FOUR.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"He has destroyed Junaid Khan's figures! From a brilliant opening spell to absolute carnage at the death! Deva moves into the 190s! Can he do it again? Can he score another ODI double hundred?"
The 50th Over: Umar Gul to Deva
Deva was on 196. Dhoni was on 90.
49.1: Deva pushed the ball to long-on. 1 Run. (Deva 197).
49.2: Dhoni smashed a full toss through covers. FOUR. (Dhoni 94).
49.3: Dhoni tried to hit a six, mistimed it, but they ran hard. 2 Runs. (Dhoni 96).
49.4: Dhoni pushed a single to short fine leg. 1 Run. (Dhoni 97).
49.5: Deva on strike. 197 runs.
Gul bowled a full delivery aiming for the blockhole, but missed his length slightly under pressure.
Deva took a step forward, created room, and played an inside-out lofted drive. The timing was exquisite. The ball soared over the extra cover boundary and crashed into the advertising boards.
SIX.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"HE HAS DONE IT! SIDDANTH DEVA SCORES HIS SECOND ODI DOUBLE CENTURY! A MONUMENTAL, UNBELIEVABLE INNINGS! From 29 for 3, he has carried India to a mountain! 203 not out! The crowd in Chennai is bowing to him!"
Deva took off his helmet, completely exhausted, raising his bat to the heavens. He hugged Dhoni mid-pitch. It was an innings of two distinct halves—absolute defense followed by unmitigated destruction.
49.6: Deva hit the last ball for a FOUR past point.
Final Score: India 368/4 (50 Overs).
Siddanth Deva: 207* off 141 balls (22 Fours, 10 Sixes).
MS Dhoni: 97* off 82 balls.
---
The internet collapsed.
@Sachin_RT: "Words fail me. To rebuild an innings like that and then score a double century... Siddanth Deva is a modern master. 🇮🇳👏"
@Cricfanatic: "I am speechless. I am literally speechless. You are a freak of nature. 😭🔥🔥🔥"
---
Target: 369.
Chasing 369 on a Chepauk pitch that was now turning square and offering variable bounce was an impossible task. The Pakistani morale had been completely shattered by the Deva-Dhoni partnership.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar swung the new ball beautifully, removing Nasir Jamshed in the very first over.
R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were introduced early. They spun a web around the Pakistani middle order. The ball gripped, turned, and bounced. Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan tried to grind it out, but the required rate climbed to over 10 runs an over.
Deva, riding high on adrenaline, was brought in to bowl the 30th over.
He bowled with fiery pace, reversing the old ball.
He trapped Shoaib Malik LBW with a searing 148 kmph inswinging yorker.
Two overs later, he bowled Kamran Akmal with a brilliant slower bouncer that the batsman dragged onto his stumps.
Deva's Bowling Figures: 6-1-24-2.
Pakistan crumbled under the scoreboard pressure and the turning ball. They were eventually bowled out for 195 in 41.3 overs. Ashwin picked up 4 wickets, and Jadeja took 3.
Result: India won by 173 runs.
Man of the Match: Siddanth Deva.
Post-Match Presentation:
Ravi Shastri: "Sid, 207 not out. From 29/3. How do you process an innings like that?"
Deva: "It was tough out there in the afternoon, Ravi bhai. Junaid bowled a brilliant spell. Mahi bhai and I just decided we wouldn't look at the scoreboard until the 35th over. We just wanted to build a partnership and take it deep. Once we were set, and the ball got a bit older, it became easier to hit through the line. Credit to Mahi bhai, he kept me going when I was cramping."
---
Date: January 3rd, 2013.
Location: Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Event: 2nd ODI. Series on the line.
The circus moved to the historic Eden Gardens. The winter morning in Kolkata was biting cold, a heavy mist hanging over the Hooghly River. The pitch had a distinct greenish tinge. It was going to be a paradise for fast bowlers in the first hour.
The Toss:
MS Dhoni won the toss.
"We will bowl first," Dhoni announced. "The conditions are heavily overcast, and there is a lot of moisture on the pitch. We want to exploit that early on. We have one change today; Ashok Dinda comes in for Ravindra Jadeja to add some extra pace."
Pre-Match Commentary (Sourav Ganguly):
"Brilliant toss to win for MS. Bhuvi, Ishant, Dinda, and Deva are going to be lethal in this first hour. The ball is going to hoop around corners. Pakistan's top order will have to play out of their skins to survive this morning session."
India's pacers were immediately on the money. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashok Dinda swung the ball prodigiously, making life miserable for Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed.
Over 4.3: Bhuvneshwar to Hafeez
Bhuvi pitched it up, letting it swing away late. Hafeez chased it, getting a thick edge that flew to second slip.
WICKET (Hafeez 4). Pak 12/1.
Siddanth Deva came on as first change in the 8th over. The mist had cleared slightly, but the ball was still doing tricks off the seam.
Over 8: Deva to Azhar Ali
7.2: Deva bowled a heavy length ball that jagged back sharply. Azhar Ali was cut in half, the ball striking him high on the back pad. Plumb LBW.
[Commentary - Ramiz Raja]:"Dead in front! Deva strikes immediately! He is generating tremendous pace and movement here at Eden! Pakistan in trouble early!"
WICKET (Azhar Ali 2). Pak 28/2.
Over 12: Deva to Younis Khan
11.4: Deva set up the veteran brilliantly. He bowled three consecutive outswingers, making Younis reach for the ball. On the fourth delivery, he bowled a fast, fiery inswinger at 149 kmph. It breached Younis's defense and crashed into the top of middle stump.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"WHAT A BEAUTY! He set him up and knocked him over! The Devil is dancing in the City of Joy! Younis Khan is left completely bewildered!"
WICKET (Younis Khan 10). Pak 45/3.
Despite the early collapse, Nasir Jamshed stood firm. The burly left-hander played a gritty, magnificent innings. He weathered the storm, played late, and began to counter-attack the spinners in the middle overs. He built a crucial partnership with Shoaib Malik.
Jamshed eventually reached a brilliant, fighting 106, anchoring the Pakistani innings when it looked like they would fold for 150.
However, MS Dhoni brought Deva back for the death overs to clean up the tail.
Over 46: Deva to Nasir Jamshed
Jamshed, looking to accelerate, tried to pull a short ball. Deva rolled his fingers, bowling a 120 kmph slower bouncer. Jamshed was through the shot early, top-edging it high to fine leg, where Ishant Sharma took the catch.
WICKET (Jamshed 106). Pak 220/7.
Over 48: Deva to Umar Gul
Deva finished his spell by unleashing a 152 kmph toe-crushing yorker that uprooted Umar Gul's leg stump.
WICKET (Gul 11). Pak 238/9.
Pakistan was eventually bowled out for 245 in 49.3 overs.
Siddanth Deva's Figures: 10-2-35-4. A masterclass in fast, hostile, intelligent bowling.
---
Target: 246.
Required Rate: 4.92.
Chasing 246 under the Eden Gardens floodlights was tricky. Junaid Khan and Umar Gul were exceptionally dangerous with the two new white balls.
Junaid Khan reproduced his magic from Chennai. He swung the ball late and fast.
He trapped Virender Sehwag LBW in the 3rd over for 8.
In his next over, he bowled Rohit Sharma through the gate with an absolute peach of an inswinger for 12.
India: 28/2.
The ghosts of Chennai lingered. The Eden Gardens crowd was nervous.
The score was 40/2 in the 8th over.
"We don't need to do anything crazy, Cheeku," Deva said, tapping gloves. "The required rate is under 5. We just need to bat 40 overs."
Kohli nodded, his jaw set. "Let's grind them into the dirt."
What followed was not a showcase of violence, but a clinic in mature, risk-free ODI run-chasing.
Deva and Kohli didn't try to hit sixes. They manipulated the field. They ran hard twos. They punished the bad balls with classic cricket shots.
Over 20: Saeed Ajmal to Kohli
Kohli stepped down and drove Ajmal effortlessly through the covers for four.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"Classy. Just classy. Kohli and Deva are playing proper, text-book cricket. They are completely neutralizing the Pakistani threat by simply refusing to take risks."
Kohli reached his half-century and looked set for a big one, but he played a rare false shot against Umar Gul, pulling a short ball straight to deep square leg.
WICKET (Kohli 60). India: 145/3.
The Final Flourish:
With Kohli gone, Suresh Raina joined Deva. India needed 101 runs.
Deva, who was batting on a patient 65, decided it was time to close the game out and seal the series. He moved seamlessly into the 90s over the next several overs, accumulating boundaries and reducing the required total methodically.
Over 42: Junaid Khan to Deva
India needed just 4 runs to win. Deva was on 99.
Junaid ran in, looking for the yorker. He missed by a fraction.
Deva cleared his front leg and unleashed a spectacular, lofted cover drive. The ball sailed into the stands.
SIX.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"WHAT A WAY TO BRING UP A CENTURY! AND WHAT A WAY TO WIN A SERIES! Siddanth Deva finishes the game with an absolute beauty! He scores 105 not out, guides India to a 7-wicket victory, and India seals the ODI series 2-0! A complete, dominant performance by the Men in Blue!"
Final Score: India 248/3 (42.4 Overs).
Siddanth Deva: 105* (102 balls).
Virat Kohli: 60 (75 balls).
Suresh Raina: 50* (45 balls).
The Eden Gardens erupted. Firecrackers lit up the Kolkata sky. The Indian team ran onto the field, hugging Deva and Raina. They had swept the T20s and now the ODIs. Total domination.
---
Ravi Shastri: "He took 4 wickets in the morning when the ball was moving, and then scored a flawless 105 not out under pressure to win the series. He is unstoppable. Man of the Match, Siddanth Deva!"
Deva took the trophy, looking utterly exhausted but deeply satisfied.
Shastri: "Sid, 4 wickets and a century. You are making this a habit. Was it a tough chase under lights?"
Deva: "It was challenging initially. Junaid bowled a brilliant spell. But Virat and I knew that if we just batted time, the pitch would ease out. We didn't want to panic. I just backed my technique today rather than my power."
Back in the dressing room, Deva sat in his corner and pulled out his phone.
Headache:Okay, 4 wickets and a century. I'll admit it. That was pretty good. You didn't embarrass yourself.
Deva laughed out loud, his thumbs typing rapidly.
Me:"Pretty good"? I literally won the series. I am the King of Eden Gardens right now.
Headache:Don't let the crown get too heavy, your highness. You still have another game and the England ODIs coming up next week. If you get out to Steven Finn again, I am revoking your title.
Me:I won't. I promise. But seriously... thanks for watching.
Headache:Always watching, Chipmunk. Now go celebrate. You earned it.
Deva locked his phone and slipped it into his kit bag. The series against Pakistan was a resounding, historic success. The Devil had thoroughly erased the green threat.
He stood up, grabbing a bottle of water, ready to join the Wolfpack on the dance floor. The English were arriving soon, but right now, he was going to enjoy the view from the top of the world.