Date: June 23, 2008 (Monday) Time: 7:00 AM Location: Sai's Kitchen, Kukatpally.
The glory of the HPS victory had faded. The reality of muscle recovery had set in.
Sai sat at the dining table, staring at his breakfast: Upma. Greasy, carb-heavy, semolina Upma.
His body was screaming. His calves were tight knots. His forearms felt like they were made of lead. The "System" had allowed him to perform beyond his limits, but the biological tax was high.
System Status: Muscle Micro-tears detected. Protein required for synthesis.
"Amma," Sai said, poking the Upma with a spoon.
"Tinnu ra, late avthundi school ki," his mom said, packing his lunch box. (Eat, you'll be late for school.)
"I need eggs. Three eggs."
His mom froze. She turned around, holding a ladle. "Three? In this heat? You will get 'Ushnam' (Heat/Boils). One is enough."
"Amma, I played a 20-over match. My muscles are dead. If I don't eat protein, I will become weak. Do you want me to be weak?"
His mom sighed. "Arey, look at this boy. Suddenly he's become a bodybuilder. Okay, I will boil two."
Sai ate the Upma reluctantly. Carbs are cheap. Protein is expensive. He needed a plan. If he wanted to survive the HCA leagues, he needed to grow. He needed to maximize his 10-year-old growth hormone window.
Time: 4:00 PM Location: St. Ann's School Ground.
Gopal Sir was waiting. But today, he wasn't alone. Standing next to him was a man in a crisp white shirt and grey trousers. He looked official. He had a thick gold chain around his neck and a notepad in his hand.
"Sai! Come here!" Gopal Sir called out.
Sai jogged over, his legs still stiff.
"This is Reddy Sir," Gopal introduced. "He runs the Deccan Blues Cricket Club. They play in the HCA C-Division League."
Sai's heart skipped a beat. League Cricket. This was the bottom of the pyramid. But it was the official pyramid. C-Division -> B-Division -> A-Division (1-Day League) -> Ranji Trophy Selection.
Reddy Sir looked at Sai. He didn't look impressed. "Is this the boy?" Reddy asked skeptically. "He looks like a breeze will blow him away."
"He scored 46 unbeaten against HPS on Saturday," Gopal Sir said firmly. "Chase under pressure."
Reddy Sir hummed. He looked at Sai. "Sunday morning. 7 AM. Gymkhana Grounds. Open selection for my club. Come there. Bring your kit."
Reddy Sir turned to walk away, then stopped. "And bring your Birth Certificate. Original. Not the fake one everyone buys from the Municipality."
Date: June 29, 2008 (Sunday) Time: 6:30 AM Location: Gymkhana Grounds, Secunderabad.
If HPS was a palace, Gymkhana was the Colosseum.
It was a massive, sprawling dust bowl in the heart of Secunderabad. On Sundays, it wasn't one ground. It was twenty grounds. Hundreds of matches were happening simultaneously. Boundaries overlapped. Fielders from one match would accidentally field the ball from another match.
And in the corner, near the pavilion, was the Deccan Blues Selection Trial.
Sai arrived on his father's Bajaj Chetak scooter. Rao parked the scooter and looked at the crowd. There were easily 200 kids.
"Entha mandi unnaru..." Rao whispered, intimidated. (So many people...)
Sai hopped off, carrying his blue travel bag. He scanned the crowd.
[OBSERVATION SCAN]
His "Golden Finger" wasn't just for batting. It was for analysis. He looked at the other kids lining up for the U-12 and U-14 selection.
Target 1: A boy claiming to be 12. Visual Cues: Adam's apple visible. Facial hair shaving shadow. Forearm muscle density. System Analysis: Biological Age Estimate: 14.5.
Target 2: A boy claiming to be 12. Visual Cues: Broad shoulders. Deep voice. System Analysis: Biological Age Estimate: 15.
Sai tightened his grip on his bag. Age Fraud. The cancer of Indian junior cricket. He wasn't competing against 10-year-olds. He was competing against teenagers who had forged documents to play in lower age groups to dominate.
"Go," Rao said, pushing him gently. "Stand in line. I will drink tea and come."
The Net Session: The Jungle Law
The selection wasn't organized like the school one. It was chaos. Reddy Sir sat on a plastic chair under a tree, smoking a cigarette.
"Bowlers this side! Batsmen that side! 3 balls each! Show me what you got!"
3 balls. That's all you got to prove your worth.
Sai stood in the batsman's line. He was number 45. Ahead of him, the "Age Fraud" kids were smashing the bowlers. Because they were physically stronger, they could clear the boundary easily. Reddy Sir nodded every time a ball went for six.
Power impresses him, Sai realized. He likes big hitters.
Sai looked at his own thin arms. He couldn't out-hit these guys. He had to out-think them.
Finally, it was his turn. He walked into the net. The matting wicket was worn out.
The bowler was a tall boy (probably 15, pretending to be 13). He looked mean.
Ball 1: The bowler ran in. He wanted to kill the small kid. Fast. Short. Sai predicted it. The "Trigger" movement happened automatically. Sai ducked. The ball flew over his head.
Reddy Sir didn't react. Leaving the ball doesn't get you a contract.
Ball 2: The bowler grunted. He pitched it up. Sai saw the field (imaginary, since it was a net). He stepped out. He didn't swing hard. He converted the length ball into a volley. [CLICK] He punched it straight back. The ball hit the net behind the bowler with a crisp sound.
Reddy Sir looked up from his cigarette. "Good shot. Next."
Ball 3: This was it. The last chance. The bowler tried a yorker. It ended up being a low full toss on off-stump.
Sai opened the face of the bat. He used the pace. He played a Late Cut. The ball flew into the side netting, exactly where "Third Man" would be.
Reddy Sir stood up. "Oye, Chotu! Come here."
Sai walked out of the net. Reddy Sir looked him up and down. "Name?"
"Sai Krishna."
"Age?"
"Ten."
Reddy Sir laughed. "At least you look ten. These other donkeys look like they are fathers of two children."
He scribbled something on a paper. "You have good hands. But you are too small for the league. If I put you in C-Division, the men will break your ribs."
Sai looked Reddy Sir in the eye. "Sir, Tendulkar debuted at 16 against Waqar Younis. I am 10. I can handle C-Division."
Reddy Sir raised an eyebrow. The kid had guts. "Okay. You are in the Reserves. You won't play matches. You will carry drinks and scorebook. If someone gets injured, maybe you play. Fee is Rs. 1500 for the season."
Sai nodded. Foot in the door.
Time: 11:00 AM Location: Paradise Circle (Famous for Biryani).
Rao was driving the scooter back. He stopped at a signal. "Selected?" Rao asked, shouting over the traffic noise.
"Reserves, Nanna. Need to pay 1500."
Rao didn't say anything for a minute. The signal turned green. "Okay. Next month salary, I will pay."
They drove in silence for a bit. Then Rao pulled the scooter over near a small bakery. "Diggu." (Get down.)
Sai got off. Rao walked into the bakery. He came back with a small paper plate. Two Boiled Eggs. With lots of pepper and salt.
"Eat," Rao said, leaning on the scooter. "Mom said one egg. I didn't say anything about outside eggs."
Sai took the plate. The eggs were hot. He looked at his dad. Rao was wearing his old office shirt, sweating in the heat.
"Thanks, Nanna."
"Eat fast. Don't tell your mother."
Sai bit into the egg. It tasted like victory.