Chapter 45: The Ripper
[Score: 35/0. Overs: 7.0. Batsmen: Akhil 19*, Bikash 12*. Bowler: Raghav R.]
Raghav stood at the top of his bowling mark. The white, hard, match ball felt heavy and real in his right hand. His Iron Grip closed around the seam, a familiar, solid vice.
In front of him, the field was a strange, aggressive, hybrid creature of his own design.
Pawan, the team's best fielder, was crouched at Short Leg, uncomfortably close, his helmet grille glinting.
Rishi, the "problem-solver," was at Gully, his knees bent, waiting for an edge.
Aakash, the keeper, was standing up to the stumps, his gloves raised, his glasses fogging slightly in the humidity.
This was a field designed to suffocate.
Twenty-two yards away, Akhil, the Sivasagar captain, watched this. He was a "scrapper," and this setup was an insult. It was a trick. He showed his contempt by tapping his bat on the crease, then pointing it, playfully, at Raghav.
