Date: November 29th, 2011.
Location: Deva Farmhouse, Shamshabad.
The Indian cricket calendar is a relentless machine, churning out matches like a factory assembly line. But for Siddanth Deva, the conveyor belt had momentarily paused.
After his heroics in the Test series—scoring 414 runs and taking 10 wickets—the selectors, in a rare moment of mercy, had decided to rest him for the ODI leg against the West Indies. MS Dhoni was also rested, handing the captaincy armband to the Nawab of Najafgarh, Virender Sehwag.
Deva sat on the verandah of his farmhouse, his feet propped up on the railing. He was wearing a loose kurta and sipping tea.
"You look too relaxed," Arjun said, walking out with a plate of biscuits. "It's unsettling. Usually, you are vibrating with energy."
"I am recharging," Deva said, not looking up. "The Australia tour is next. That will be war. This? This is peace."
"Peace?" Arjun laughed. "Have you seen the news? Sehwag is captain. Peace is not an option."
Deva grinned. "True. Viru paaji in charge means chaos. Beautiful chaos."
---
Date: November 29th, 2011.
Location: Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.
Series Status: 1st ODI.
The series opener was a tense, low-scoring affair.
On a sluggish pitch, West Indies posted 211/9. Darren Bravo top-scored with 60, but the Indian spinners, led by R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, strangled the scoring in the middle overs.
The chase, however, was a nightmare.
India Innings:
Kemar Roach breathed fire. He removed Parthiv Patel and Gautam Gambhir cheaply.
Sehwag tried to blast his way out but dragged one onto his stumps.
Score: 59/5.
The crowd at Cuttack was silenced.
---
Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja came together. They didn't panic. They played the ball on merit.
Rohit played a sublime knock of 72, his drives piercing the off-side field effortlessly. Jadeja supported him with a gritty 38.
But when Rohit fell, India still needed 40 runs with only tailenders left.
India needed 11 runs with 1 wicket in hand. Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav were at the crease.
Anthony Martin bowled a yorker. Umesh dug it out.
Next ball. Short. Umesh pulled. Top edge.
It flew over the keeper for FOUR.
Over 49:
3 needed.
Varun Aaron drove a full ball from Roach through covers.
FOUR.
Result: India won by 1 wicket.
Series: India leads 1-0.
Deva's Text to Jadeja:
Me: Cutting it close, Rockstar? My heart rate went up.
Jaddu: Just keeping the audience entertained, Sid. A win is a win.
---
Date: December 2nd, 2011.
Location: ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam.
The second match was a batting beauty. India batted first.
India Innings:
The young guns took charge. Virat Kohli, relishing the responsibility of Vice-Captaincy, walked in at No. 3 and commanded the stage. He smashed a brilliant 117 off 123 balls, flicking the West Indian pacers to all parts of the ground.
Rohit Sharma supported him with a languid 90, missing out on a century but cementing his spot.
India posted a formidable 269/6.
West Indies Chase:
Lendl Simmons (78) and Ravi Rampaul (slog sweep specialist) threatened to chase it down. At 200/4, they were cruising.
---
Sehwag brought on Vinay Kumar. The medium pacer used his cutters effectively.
Over 42: Vinay to Kieron Pollard.
Slower ball bouncer. Pollard was through the shot early.
Caught at long-on.
WICKET.
West Indies collapsed to 235.
Result: India won by 34 runs.
Series: India leads 2-0.
---
Date: December 8th, 2011.
Location: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore.
Siddanth Deva was in the NEXUS office, reviewing the marketing strategy for the Bolt 1 launch. A giant TV screen on the wall was muted, showing the match.
"Wait," Deva said, stopping the Marketing Head mid-sentence. "Unmute the TV."
On screen, Virender Sehwag was batting on 150. The overs remaining: 15.
"Cancel the meeting," Deva ordered, pulling his chair closer to the screen. "History is happening."
Sehwag was in a mood. He wasn't just hitting; he was dismantling. He reached his 150 off just 112 balls. He was cutting, pulling, and upper-cutting. The West Indies bowlers looked terrified.
Over 40: Andre Russell to Sehwag
39.1: Sehwag slashed hard over point. FOUR.
39.2: Short ball. Sehwag ramped it over the keeper. FOUR.
39.3: Full toss. Sehwag whipped it over square leg. SIX.
He moved to 170.
Over 43: Kieron Pollard to Sehwag
Sehwag was on 190. The tension was palpable.
He tried to reverse sweep. Missed.
Next ball. Full toss on the pads.
SIX over point.
196.
The crowd in Indore was going berserk. The commentators—Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri—were losing their voices.
Shastri: "He is closing in! Sachin has done it. Deva has done it. Can Sehwag join the 200 club? He is batting like a man possessed!"
Over 44: Kemar Roach
197.
Roach bowled wide outside off.
Sehwag reached out. He cut hard.
The ball flew past backward point. It raced to the fence.
201 RUNS.
Commentary (Gavaskar): "HISTORY! VIRENDER SEHWAG! The third man on the planet to score a double century in ODIs! And he does it as Captain! Look at the strike rate! Look at the audacity! He hugs Gambhir! What a moment!"
Sehwag raised his bat, laughing. He didn't look tired. He looked like he was playing book cricket. He pointed to the dressing room, a broad grin on his face.
He finally fell for 219 off 149 balls.
25 Fours. 7 Sixes.
India posted 418/5. It was their highest ODI score ever.
---
Chasing 419 was impossible. But Denesh Ramdin scored a fighting 96, saving some pride.
West Indies managed 265.
Result: India won by 153 runs.
Series: India leads 3-0. Series Won.
Deva's Text to Sehwag:
Me: Viru Paaji! 219? Welcome to the club! Insane hitting. Take a bow.
Sehwag: I was tired of running, Sid. Boundaries are easier. See you in Australia.
---
Date: December 11th, 2011.
Location: Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad.
With the series won, India relaxed. Too much.
West Indies batted first and scored 260.
---
Sehwag fell early, trying to hit the first ball for four. Gambhir followed.
Rohit Sharma played a lone hand. He scored a magnificent 95, threading the gaps beautifully, but he ran out of partners.
Ravindra Jadeja tried to support him, but the asking rate climbed too high on a slow pitch.
India finished on 244.
Result: West Indies won by 16 runs.
Series: India leads 3-1.
---
Date: December 14th, 2011.
Location: M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
The final match. India wanted to finish 4-1.
But they were in trouble early. Batting first on a turning track, they slumped to 80/5.
Sehwag (duck), Gambhir, Kohli, Raina all gone. The top order had collapsed against Ravi Rampaul (4 wickets).
Manoj Tiwary (playing his first game of the series) and Rohit Sharma stood up.
Tiwary played a career-defining knock. He swept the spinners, rotated the strike, and eventually accelerated.
He scored a brilliant 104 (Retired Hurt) due to cramps.
India recovered to 267/6.
---
Kieron Pollard threatened to win it with a brutal 119. He hit 10 sixes, silencing the Chepauk crowd.
But Suresh Raina (bowling) came on at the death. He bowled wide yorkers.
R. Ashwin trapped the tailenders.
West Indies all out for 233.
Result: India won by 34 runs.
Series Result: India won 4-1.
Post-Series Presentation:
Man of the Series: Virender Sehwag.
---
Date: December 24th, 2011.
Location: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia.
Event: Pre-Series Press Conference.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is not just a stadium; it is a colosseum. Even empty, the sheer scale of the concrete bowl is intimidating.
In two days, ninety thousand people would fill these stands for the Boxing Day Test, creating an atmosphere that had swallowed many reputations whole.
In the media center, the air conditioning hummed, fighting the dry Australian summer heat. The room was packed.
Journalists from India and Australia jostled for position. The tension was palpable. This wasn't just another series; this was the World Champions arriving on enemy turf.
India had not lost a series in 2011. They held the World Cup. They held the Mace. And they had a weapon that Australia had no answers when they played against India last time.
The door opened. Michael Clarke, the Australian captain, walked in. He looked sharp in his team polo and baggy green cap on the table. He sat down, adjusting the microphone, his eyes scanning the room with a mix of confidence and calculation. This was his first Boxing Day Test as permanent captain. He had a point to prove.
"Morning, everyone," Clarke said, flashing a media-trained smile. "Fire away."
Journalist (Cricket Australia): "Michael, India arrives here with a reputation. World Cup winners. Undefeated in series this year. They dismantled England in the ODIs. Is this the strongest Indian team to ever tour Australia?"
Clarke leaned back. "Look, you have to respect what they've achieved. MS (Dhoni) has done a fantastic job. They have legends in that dressing room—Sachin, Dravid, VVS, Sehwag. They know how to win. They have that habit of winning now. We know we are up against the Number 1 side in the world."
He paused, his expression hardening slightly.
"But playing in India and playing in Australia are two different sports. The Kookaburra ball on the MCG pitch behaves differently than the SG ball in Delhi. We respect them, but we are not here to roll out the red carpet. We are here to fight. We are here to win."
Journalist (Times of India): "You mentioned the conditions. India has often struggled with the bounce here. But this time, they have a new element. Siddanth Deva. He scored three centuries in England. He averaged over 100 in the home season. He is being called the 'perfect batsman'. Do the Aussies have a plan for him?"
The room went quiet. Deva was the X-factor. The wildcard.
Clarke took a sip of water. He placed the bottle down deliberately.
"Deva has had a great year," Clarke admitted. "You can't argue with the numbers. 1000+ runs. Wickets. He is a talent."
Then, the smile turned frosty.
"But he hasn't batted in Australia," Clarke said softly. "He hasn't faced James Pattinson at the Gabba. He hasn't faced Peter Siddle at the MCG when the ball is jumping off a length. Scoring runs on low, slow wickets is one thing. Handling the bounce and pace of our tracks is another."
Clarke looked directly into the camera lens, as if speaking to Deva himself.
"We have done our homework. We know he likes to hook and pull. Well, we'll see if that hook shot holds up when the ball is coming at his nose at 150 clicks. We'll see if his technique stands up when the ball is seaming at the WACA. Let's see if he can beat us in Australia."
It was a classic Australian welcome. Mental disintegration before a ball was bowled.
---
Location: MCG Practice Nets.
Time: 6:00 AM (The Next Morning).
The sun was just rising over Melbourne, casting long shadows across the empty nets. The rest of the team was still in the hotel, either sleeping or having breakfast.
But Siddanth Deva was already there. He was padded up. He had his helmet on.
He wasn't alone. He had dragged three people out of bed: Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Varun Aaron—the fastest bowlers in the Indian squad.
"Why are we here so early, Sid?" Ishant groaned, stretching his long arms. "My back is still asleep."
"Did you hear Clarke?" Deva asked, adjusting his gloves. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "He thinks I can't hook. He thinks the bounce will scare me."
Umesh Yadav chuckled, rubbing the red Kookaburra ball on his trousers. "So what's the plan?"
Deva walked into the net. He marked his guard—middle stump. He looked at the three pacers.
"The plan is simple," Deva said. "I don't want you to bowl full. I don't want you to bowl good length. I want you to bowl bouncers."
"Bouncers?" Aaron asked.
"Yes. Aim for the head. Aim for the throat. As fast as you can. No holding back. If you hit me, you hit me. I want to feel the pace."
The bowlers exchanged glances. They saw the intensity in Deva's eyes.
"Alright," Ishant said, his competitive instinct kicking in. "Helmet on tight, Sid."
---
For the next hour, the nets turned into a war zone.
Ishant bowled from a height that made the ball rear up like a cobra.
Umesh bowled skiddy bouncers that hurried onto the bat.
Varun Aaron bowled raw pace, clocking 145kmph even in practice.
Deva didn't duck. He didn't weave.
He hooked. He pulled. He swiveled.
He took a few blows on the chest. One hit his grill. But he didn't stop.
[System Status]
[Template Active: Shivnarine Chanderpaul]
[Synchronization: 40%]
Deva was utilizing the Chanderpaul technique he had honed in England. He opened his chest slightly to the bowler, allowing him a clear, two-eyed view of the ball release. This extra fraction of visual information allowed him to pick the length early. He wasn't playing with Chanderpaul's ugliness, but with his balance. He transferred weight back instantly, getting inside the line of the bounce.
Crack.
He pulled Umesh in front of square.
Thwack.
He hooked Ishant over fine leg.
By 7:30 AM, when the rest of the team arrived for the official warm-up, Deva was drenched in sweat, his chest bruised, but his eyes burning with confidence.
MS Dhoni walked past the net. He saw the marks on Deva's ribs. He saw the exhaustion on the faces of the three fast bowlers.
"Good session?" Dhoni asked, sipping his energy drink.
Deva took off his helmet. He wiped his face.
"Tell Clarke I'm ready," Deva said.
The gauntlet had been picked up. The Devil was ready for the bounce.
Devil was ready for the bounce.