The Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur was a cauldron of noise. It was January 13, 2010. The Final of the Tri-Nation Tournament.
The air was heavy, thick with the humidity of the Delta and the collective breath of 25,000 screaming fans. While Bangladesh wasn't playing, the stadium was packed to the rafters.
The locals had turned up to witness the clash of the Asian Titans: India vs. Sri Lanka.
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Ravi Shastri (Pitchside): "The atmosphere is absolutely electric here in Dhaka! It's the grand finale. India, the number one ODI side, against Sri Lanka, a team that knows how to win finals. Gambhir and Sehwag are back in the starting lineup. The big guns are firing. But look at the pitch—it has a greenish tinge, but the ground staff says it will slow down. The dew will be the X-factor."
Sunil Gavaskar: "Sri Lanka has the psychological edge after winning the first league game. But India bounced back strong. The key battle today is the Indian top order against Nuwan Kulasekara and Chanaka Welegedara. If India survives the first 10 overs, they dominate. If they lose early wickets, the middle order will be tested."
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MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara walked out to the middle, the cameras flashing like strobe lights.
Sangakkara flipped the coin.
Sangakkara: "Heads."
Heads it was.
Sangakkara: "We will bowl first. There might be some moisture early on, and with the dew factor later, chasing is the safer option. We want to restrict India."
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1st Innings
Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag walked out. The Indian flag waved frantically in the stands.
Chanaka Welegedara took the new ball. He was swinging it.
Over 1: Welegedara to Gambhir
0.1: Good length, swinging in. Sehwag hits to mid-on. 1 run.
0.2: Short of a length, shaping away. Gambhir leaves. Dot.
0.3: WICKET! Full and shaping away late. Gambhir is drawn into the drive. He pushes at it with hard hands.
Edged! It flies straight to Sangakkara behind the stumps.
G. Gambhir c Sangakkara b Welegedara 0 (2).
India: 1/1.
Siddanth Deva walked out at Number 3 in the first over of a final. The pressure was immediate. He met Sehwag in the middle.
"Ball is moving," Sehwag said, chewing his gum furiously. "Play straight."
Sehwag didn't know how to play defensively. He decided to attack.
He smashed Welegedara for two boundaries in the 3rd over. Deva played the anchor, leaving the dangerous balls and rotating the strike. They stitched together a rapid 75-run partnership. Sehwag was looking dangerous on 42.
Over 11: Nuwan Kulasekara to Sehwag
10.1: WICKET! Kulasekara bowls a cutter, slightly wide. Sehwag tries to run it down to third man with an open face.
The extra bounce surprises him. A thick outside edge.
Sangakkara takes an easy catch.
V. Sehwag c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 42 (27).
India: 75/2.
What followed was a horror show for India.
Over 13: Suraj Randiv to Kohli
12.2: WICKET! Randiv fires it in flat. Kohli goes back to cut, but the ball skids on. He misses.
Rap on the pads. Plumb in front. Up goes the finger.
V. Kohli lbw b Randiv 2 (8).
India: 82/3.
Over 14: Thilan Thushara to Yuvraj
13.3: WICKET! Yuvraj on strike. Thushara bowls full and wide, tempting the drive. Yuvraj falls for the trap.
He drives loosely, without moving his feet.
Straight to Samaraweera at cover point.
Yuvraj Singh c Samaraweera b Thushara 0 (3).
India: 84/4.
Over 19: Angelo Mathews to Dhoni
18.4: WICKET! Dhoni tries to pull a short ball. It gets big on him. Top edge.
It loops to Upul Tharanga at short fine leg.
MS Dhoni c Tharanga b Mathews 14 (19).
India: 108/5.
The Indian fans were silent. The Sri Lankan team was celebrating. They smelled blood. Siddanth Deva stood at the non-striker's end, leaning on his bat, watching the calamity unfold. He was batting on 37.
Suresh Raina walked in. The last recognized batsman.
Deva walked up to him.
"Raina," Deva said, his eyes burning with the Predator's Focus. "They think the game is over. Let's show them it hasn't started."
They began the repair job. Over 20-30 were slow. They took singles. They respected Muralitharan.
Deva reached his 50 off 68 balls. A gritty, determined effort.
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At the 35th over mark, the score was 160/5. Deva signaled to the dressing room for a new pair of gloves. It was time.
Over 36: Lasith Malinga to Deva
36.1: SIX! Deva steps out. He turns a yorker into a full toss. He whips it over long-on. The sound off the bat echoes through the stadium.
36.2: FOUR. Next ball, he shuffles across and scoops Malinga over fine leg. Audacious!
36.3: 1 Run. Slower ball, pushed to cover.
Raina fed off Deva's energy. He started lofting the spinners inside-out over extra cover. The partnership grew. 100 runs. 150 runs. The Sri Lankan shoulders began to drop.
Over 44: Chanaka Welegedara to Deva
43.2: 2 Runs. Deva drives through the covers. He races back for the second.
CENTURY!
100 off 110 balls.
He raises his bat calmly. No wild celebration. Just a job half done.
Over 49: Thilan Thushara to Raina
48.1: SIX! Raina clears his front leg and smashes it over mid-wicket.
CENTURY FOR RAINA! 100 off 89 balls.
He punches the air! Deva runs over and hugs him.
Over 50: Nuwan Kulasekara to Deva
49.5: SIX! Deva finishes the innings with a helicopter shot. The ball lands in the stands.
India Finished: 298/5.
Partnership: 205 Runs.
Siddanth Deva: 128 (125 balls, 12 Fours, 3 Sixes).*
Suresh Raina: 106 (94 balls, 10 Fours, 2 Sixes).*
Tony Greig: "Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! India was dead and buried at 93 for 5! But these two young men, Deva and Raina, have produced a miracle! 298 is a winning total in a final! Sri Lanka will be shell-shocked. They had the game in their pockets and let it slip."
2nd Innings
Target: 299. Sri Lanka needed a good start.
Over 1: Zaheer Khan to Tharanga
0.4: WICKET! Zaheer bowls a perfect outswinger. Tharanga fishes at it.
U. Tharanga c Sehwag b Zaheer 0 (4).
SL: 1/1.
Kumar Sangakkara joined Tillakaratne Dilshan. They decided to attack. Dilshan was severe on Ashish Nehra. Sangakkara drove beautifully through the covers. They added 85 runs.
Over 16: Yuvraj Singh to Dilshan
15.5: WICKET! Dilshan (on 49) tries to cut a ball that was too close to him. It skids off the wet pitch.
Edged. Dhoni takes a sharp catch.
T. Dilshan c Dhoni b Yuvraj 49.
SL: 86/2.
Over 19: Harbhajan Singh to Sangakkara
18.3: WICKET! Sangakkara tries to sweep. The ball bounces a bit more than expected (top spin).
It balloons to short fine leg. Gambhir takes it easily.
K. Sangakkara c Gambhir b Harbhajan 38.
SL: 110/3.
Mahela Jayawardene was at the crease. He was in sublime touch, maneuvering the field. He reached his 50. Sri Lanka reached 180/3 in 35 overs. They needed 119 off 90 balls. With Mahela set, it was possible.
Dhoni threw the ball to Siddanth Deva.
Over 38: Siddanth Deva to Jayawardene
37.1: Length ball, driven to long-off. 1 Run.
37.2: Kandamby takes a single.
37.3: Mahela on strike. Deva runs in. He sees Mahela shuffling to play the lap sweep.
Deva rolls his fingers over the ball. He bowls it wide of off-stump, slower (124kph).
Mahela has to reach for it. He loses his shape.
WICKET! The ball hits the toe end of the bat and lobs gently to Virat Kohli at point.
M. Jayawardene c Kohli b Deva 64.
SL: 185/4.
Ravi Shastri: "That is the game! The big fish is gone! Deva does it again! He breaks the partnership just when it was getting dangerous!"
With Mahela gone, the Lankan resistance crumbled. Deva was in the zone.
Over 44: Deva to Mathews
43.4: WICKET! A scorching yorker at 148kph. Mathews is late getting his bat down.
A. Mathews b Deva 18.
Over 46: Deva to Randiv
46.2: WICKET! Randiv tries to hit out. Slices it high to long-on. Raina takes the catch.
S. Randiv c Raina b Deva 5.
Sri Lanka All Out: 249 (48.2 Overs).
India Won by 49 Runs.
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The Sher-e-Bangla Stadium erupted. The Indian team huddle was bouncing. Dhoni hugged Deva. Raina was jumping on Zaheer's back. Fireworks lit up the Dhaka sky.
Ravi Shastri: "What a final! India is the champion of the Tri-Nation Tournament! From 108/5 to winning by 49 runs. A complete performance."
Ravi Shastri: "This man has been the difference between the sides throughout the tournament. He scored 430 runs in 5 matches at an average of 86. He also picked up 11 wickets. The Man of the Series is Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth walked up to the podium. The crowd cheered. He shook hands with the officials. A giant key was handed to him.
Prize: Tata Sumo Grande MK II.
Shastri: "Sid, 128 runs today under extreme pressure. 3 wickets. You are having a dream run."
Siddanth: "It was tough. Viru-bhai played well, but we lost wickets. Raina was amazing. We just told ourselves to bat till the 40th over. Bowling was tough with the dew, but we stuck to our plans."
MS Dhoni collected the large silver trophy. He walked back to the team. He didn't lift it immediately. He handed it to Siddanth Deva and Suresh Raina.
The team lined up. 3... 2... 1... They lifted the cup! Confetti rained down.
Then came the tradition. The bright red Tata Sumo Grande MK II was parked near the boundary.
The team swarmed it. Siddanth jumped into the driver's seat. Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja climbed onto the roof. Harbhajan Singh hung out of the window. Dhoni and Yuvraj sat on the bonnet, holding the trophy.
Siddanth revved the engine. He drove slowly around the boundary rope. The team waved to the fans. Virat was dancing on the roof. Yuvi was blowing kisses. Siddanth honked the horn rhythmically—India, India!
Harsha Bhogle: "Look at these scenes! A young Indian team, full of energy, celebrating a famous win. And there is the man of the hour, Siddanth Deva, driving his team around. He has steered them out of trouble on the field, and now he steers them in celebration. A new era of Indian cricket is truly here."