The first streaks of dawn had barely touched the Delhi sky when Ajay's eyes opened. There was no alarm clock, no knock on the door—just his body, already tuned to the rhythm he had promised himself. The chill of the January morning seeped into the room, but it did not slow him.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, feeling the cool floor under his feet. The list he had pinned above his bed the night before stared back at him. He ran his eyes over it, letting the words settle into his bones.
The First Jog
The streets were still wrapped in the grey mist of early winter. Ajay stepped outside in a track suit, his breath turning into white clouds. Mohan Nagar was quiet except for the distant clink of a milkman's cans and the slow rumble of a bus starting its morning route.
He began with a light jog, letting his muscles warm up. His feet slapped rhythmically against the pavement. He had once hated running—considered it the most boring, painful part of training. But now, every step felt like an act of defiance against his past self.
The system chimed faintly in his head as if approving:
Fitness – 17/100 → 18/100
He picked up the pace, finishing five kilometers without stopping. The burn in his legs was sharp, but there was a strange satisfaction in it.
Bodyweight Drills
Back home, he dropped down on the courtyard floor and started push-ups. His palms pressed into the cold cement, each movement steady and controlled. He counted them out, focusing on perfect form.
Push-ups, squats, planks, burpees—by the end, sweat was dripping down his neck despite the cold air. His younger cousins peeked out from the kitchen door, giggling at the sight of him grunting through his sets.
"Bhaiya is becoming a hero," one whispered to the other. Ajay grinned without looking up.
Breakfast Discipline
After a shower, Ajay sat cross-legged on the floor with the family for breakfast. There were parathas on the plate, but he politely refused extra ghee. Instead, he had a smaller portion with curd and fruit.
His mother looked at him curiously. "Since when did you start eating like this?"
"Since I decided to take cricket seriously again," Ajay said simply.
She shook her head but smiled. "As long as you're healthy."
School and Time Management
Ajay still had classes to attend—it was 1997, and he was a 17-year-old schoolboy again. But instead of using school hours to daydream or waste time with gossip, he paid attention only to what mattered. His notebooks were neat, his homework done, but his mind was already mapping the evening's practice session.
At lunch, when friends invited him to the chaat stall, he shook his head. "Not today.""Yaar, you've changed," they complained.Ajay just smiled. "Maybe I have."
Evening Practice – The Net Session
The sun dipped low when Ajay reached the ground. Coach Sharma was already there, organizing the nets. Ajay's name was called early for batting.
He had a goal for today—thirty perfect cover drives, thirty straight drives, thirty square cuts. Not just to hit them, but to hit them exactly as he intended, each one feeding his skill bar.
The first cover drive—fluid, balanced—sent the ball racing past extra cover. Ding.The second—same balance, same timing—another Ding.
By the end of the session, he had racked up a small flurry of system notifications:
Batting – 80/100 → 87/100
Bowling and Fielding Focus
After batting, Ajay took a short break before stepping up to bowl. He focused on his off-spin—tight line, teasing length, forcing the batsmen into mistakes. He wasn't looking for wickets in practice; he was looking for control.
In the fielding drill, he crouched low, eyes locked on the ball. Whether it was a low catch, a high skier, or a ground pickup, he moved with explosive precision. His throws from the deep slammed into the single stump target again and again.
Coach called out, "That's the standard I want from everyone!"
Review and Reflection
Walking home, Ajay mentally replayed his day. He had met every training target, eaten clean, and maintained focus from dawn to dusk. The system panel reflected his work:
Batting – 87/100Bowling – 29/100Fielding – 18/100Fitness – 20/100
The numbers were rising slowly, but steadily. He knew they would climb faster once he broke through Level 1 into Level 2, where the real grind began.
Night Routine
Dinner with the family was light—dal, roti, salad. Ajay spent an hour with his grandparents afterward, listening to old cricket stories from the days when matches were played on matting pitches and radio commentary painted pictures in the listener's mind.
When he finally went to bed, he read the list on his wall again. He hadn't missed a single point today. He smiled, closed his eyes, and let sleep come easily.
Tomorrow would be the same—dawn jog, drills, discipline, and another brick in the wall he was building toward the Ranji team.