Date: July 13, 2008 Time: 11:45 AM Location: BHEL Grounds, Ramachandrapuram.
Deccan Blues Score: 152/7 (30 Overs). Target for Singareni: 153.
Suresh (Captain) limped off the field, his ankle swollen to the size of a tennis ball. He collapsed onto a plastic chair near the tent, grimacing as Reddy Sir applied an ice pack.
"I can't field," Suresh groaned. "It's gone."
Reddy Sir looked at the field. They needed 11 men. He looked at Sai, who was scraping mud off his knees. "Sai! You are not Runner anymore. You are Substitute Fielder. Go in!"
Sai nodded. He grabbed his floppy white hat. "Where do I stand, Sir?"
Suresh gritted his teeth. "Naseer is the acting captain. Ask him. But stay away from the boundary. You can't throw from the deep."
The Second Innings: Matting Mechanics
Fielding on a Matting Wicket is a nightmare. The pitch is covered with a long strip of coir (coconut fiber) matting, nailed down at the edges.
If the ball hits the iron nails -> It flies unpredictably.
If you dive -> The coir burns your skin off like sandpaper.
Sai walked onto the field. Naseer (the Auto Driver/Bowler) was setting the field. He looked stressed. Singareni had some big hitters.
"Oye Chotu!" Naseer yelled. "Go to Short Leg."
Sai froze. Short Leg. It is the most dangerous position in cricket. You stand 2 meters away from the batsman, right under his nose. If he pulls the ball, it hits you before you can blink. Usually, captains put the "useless" kid there because they don't trust him anywhere else.
"Helmet pehen le (Wear helmet)," Naseer added.
Sai put on his oversized blue helmet. He walked to the spot, crouching low near the batsman's hip. He could hear the batsman breathing. He could smell the sweat and Iodex.
[SYSTEM MODE: REFLEX] Alert: Proximity Danger High. Reaction Time Boost: Activated.
The Assault
Overs 1-10: Singareni started blasting. They were 60/0. The ball was skidding off the matting. The Deccan Blues medium pacers were getting destroyed.
Over 12: Naseer came to bowl his off-spin. Naseer was angry. He was bowling fast darts—trying to beat the batsmen with pace. But on matting, fast spin just skids straight onto the bat. WHACK. Six over Long-On. CRACK. Four through Covers.
Naseer kicked the ground. "Maa ki kirkiri! It's not turning!"
Sai, crouching at Short Leg, saw the problem perfectly from up close. Analysis: The matting has texture. The ball only grips if it lands softly. Naseer is burying the ball into the mat, so it's sliding.
Sai waited for the end of the over. He walked up to Naseer.
"Naseer Bhai," Sai whispered.
"Hat ja (Move away)! Mood kharab hai," Naseer snapped.
"Bhai, don't bowl 'Share Auto' speed," Sai said in Hyderabadi slang. "Bowl 'Cycle Rickshaw' speed. Give it air. Let the mat eat the ball."
Naseer glared at him. "You teaching me bowling?"
"Try one ball, Bhai. Flight it. Aim for the nail on the off-stump."
Naseer grumbled something about "smartass kids," but he walked back to his mark.
The Setup
Ball 1: Naseer slowed his arm speed. He tossed the ball up high. The batsman, Raka (a muscle-man from the collieries), saw the slow ball. His eyes lit up. He lunged forward to smash it out of the park.
But because it was slow, the ball landed on the coir mat and gripped. It bit into the texture. It slowed down drastically. Raka's bat swing was too early.
Check-shot. Raka tried to stop his swing, but momentum carried him. The ball took the inside edge of the bat. Tick.
Then it hit the pad. Thud.
Then it popped up in the air. Just to the left of Short Leg.
The Catch
To a normal human, it was a blur. To Sai, the System slowed it down.
Calculated Trajectory. Sai didn't stand up. He was already crouching. He dove to his left—ignoring the fear of the abrasive matting.
He stuck out his left hand. The ball stuck in his palm like a magnet. He tumbled over, scraping his elbow on the harsh coir, but he held on.
[CLICK] Reflex Action: Successful.
"OUT! GONE!" Pandu the keeper screamed.
Naseer turned around, shocked. He saw the kid rolling on the ground with the ball in his hand. Raka stood there, stunned. He had been undone by flight.
Naseer ran to Sai. He lifted him up by the shirt collar (like a kitten). "Oye Hero! You caught it!"
Sai winced. His elbow was bleeding. "Matting bites, Bhai."
Naseer looked at the bleeding elbow, then at Sai's face. He grinned, showing his tobacco-stained teeth. "Cycle Rickshaw speed. Sahi bola tu (You said it right)."
The Collapse
That wicket changed the game. Naseer realized the trick. He slowed down all his deliveries. Singareni's batsmen, used to smashing pace, couldn't handle the slow, biting turn.
Wicket 2: Bowled (Ball turned square). Wicket 3: LBW (Ball kept low). Wicket 4: Caught at Slip.
Deccan Blues choked them. From 60/0, Singareni collapsed to 135 All Out.
Deccan Blues Won by 17 Runs.
Time: 2:30 PM Location: A Roadside Bandi (Food Cart) near BHEL.
The team was celebrating. Reddy Sir had ordered Mirchi Bajji (Chili Fritters) and Thums Up for everyone.
Sai was sitting on a stone, blowing on his scraped elbow. Reddy Sir walked over to him.
"Elbow okay?"
"Burning, Sir. But okay."
Reddy Sir nodded. He looked at Suresh, whose leg was now bandaged. "Suresh is out for 3 weeks. Ligament tear."
Sai looked down. He felt bad for Suresh, but his heart started racing. 3 weeks. That's 3 matches.
"Next Sunday," Reddy Sir said, dipping a Bajji in chutney. "We play Postal Department. They are table toppers."
He looked at Sai. "You are in the playing XI. You will bat at Number 6. Don't make me regret this."
Sai stood up. "I won't, Sir."
Naseer slapped Sai on the back, nearly knocking him over. "Ustaad! Eat Bajji! You earned it."
Sai took the spicy fritter. It was greasy, hot, and unhealthy. But today, the System didn't warn him about nutrition. Today, he was one of the boys.
Chapter 14: The Old Bat and The Carpenter
Date: July 15, 2008 (Tuesday) Location: Sai's Home.
Sai sat on his bed, looking at his bat. The Kashmir Willow was dying. The impact from the heavy league balls had taken a toll. The bottom was fraying, and there was a hairline crack near the toe. Every time he hit the ball, he felt [DISSONANCE]—not because of his technique, but because the wood was dead. It absorbed the power instead of transferring it.
"I need an English Willow," Sai whispered. But an English Willow bat cost Rs. 4000 minimum. His dad had already spent Rs. 800 on the kit. Asking for 4000 was impossible.
He had to fix this one.
The Idea
In 2024, Sai had watched videos of how professional bat-makers repaired bats. He needed:
Fevicol (Wood glue).
Thread.
Sandpaper.
A clamp.
He didn't have a clamp.
He walked to the living room. His dad was repairing a broken chair leg. "Nanna," Sai said.
"Hmm?"
"My bat is cracking. Can we go to the carpenter shop in the lane? I need to clamp it."
Rao looked at the bat. "New bat kavala?" (Do you want a new bat?) He asked it with fear in his eyes.
"No Nanna. I can fix this. I just need a carpenter's help for 10 minutes."
Rao exhaled, relieved. "Okay. Go to Ismail Chacha's shop. Tell him I sent you."
Location: Ismail's Furniture Works.
The shop smelled of sawdust and varnish. Ismail Chacha was an old man with white hair, carving a sofa leg.
"Chacha, my bat broke," Sai said, showing the crack.
Ismail looked at it. "This is cheap wood, beta. Kashmir wood dries up."
"I know. Can we pour Fevicol inside the crack and clamp it tight for 24 hours?"
Ismail looked at the 10-year-old. "You know carpentry?"
"I know physics," Sai said.
Ismail laughed. He took the bat. He poured high-strength wood glue into the crack. Then, Sai asked for something specific.
"Chacha, can you sand off the bottom 1 inch? The wood is rotten there."
"If I cut it, the bat becomes shorter."
"I am short," Sai replied. "If the bat is shorter, the balance improves. It will feel lighter."
Ismail nodded slowly. "Smart boy."
He sawed off the rotten bottom inch. He sanded the edges smooth. He clamped the bat in a massive iron vice.
"Come back tomorrow," Ismail said. "It will be stronger than new."
Date: July 16, 2008 The Rebirth of the Bat
Sai picked up the bat the next day. It looked weird. It was shorter, slightly oddly shaped at the bottom. But when he picked it up...
[CLICK]
The balance was perfect. By removing the heavy, rotten bottom, the "Pickup" was lighter. It felt like an extension of his arm.
He went to the balcony. He hung the ball in the sock.
Tap. [RESONANCE]
The sound was solid. The vibration was gone. He had customized his weapon.
"Okay," Sai grinned. "Postal Department. Bring your fast bowlers."
Chapter 15: The Postal Department and The Bouncer War
Date: July 20, 2008 (Sunday) Location: ECIL Grounds.
Deccan Blues vs. Postal Department.
The Postal team was legendary in the C-Division. They were all government employees—postmen, clerks, sorters. But their opening bowler, Yadav, was a terror. Yadav was 6'2". He had a slingshot action (like Lasith Malinga but higher arm). He was rumored to bowl 130kph.
Deccan Blues batted first.
The Top Order Collapse
Over 1: Yadav bowled a swinging yorker. Opener bold. 0/1. Over 3: Yadav bowled a bouncer. Number 3 caught at slip. 12/2. Over 8: Naseer (promoted to pinch hitter) tried to slog. Bowled. 35/4.
The Postal bowlers were destroying them.
"Number 6! Sai!" Reddy Sir yelled.
Sai walked in. He was wearing his oversized helmet, his white pads, and carrying his modified, short-handle bat.
Yadav was standing at the top of his run-up. He saw the kid. He turned to the umpire. "Sir, is this a joke? I can't bowl to him. If I hit him, I lose my government job."
The umpire shrugged. "He is in the XI. Bowl."
Yadav looked at Sai. "Kid, I will bowl slow. Just block and get out."
Sai took his guard. He looked at Yadav. Don't patronize me.
Ball 1: Yadav bowled a gentle half-volley. 80kph. Sai leaned forward. [CLICK] He drove it through covers. Beautiful timing. FOUR.
The Postal fielders clapped politely. "Good shot, baby."
Ball 2: Yadav bowled another slow ball. Sai stepped out and flicked it to square leg. Two Runs.
Yadav's ego twitched. He looked at his captain. The captain nodded. Bowl normal.
Ball 3: The Awakening Yadav ran in. Real speed this time. 125kph. Length ball. Sai shuffled. Back and across. He defended it solidly. Thud.
Yadav glared. The kid had technique.
Ball 4: The Escalation Yadav decided to test the kid. He banged it short. It wasn't a playful bouncer. It was a vicious one, aiming for the head.
Sai saw it coming. System Alert: Evasive Action. Sai ducked perfectly.
But as he stood up, Yadav walked down the pitch. "Go home, kid. Next one will take your teeth out."
Sai stood his ground. He tapped the pitch with his short bat. He looked Yadav in the eye.
"Bowl it," Sai said softly. "But pitch it up if you have guts."
Yadav turned red. A 10-year-old sledging him?
Ball 5: Yadav lost his temper. He ran in at full steam. He wanted to bowl a lightning-fast yorker to crush the stumps. But anger makes you stiff. He released the ball too late.
It became a High Full Toss. A Beamer. It was heading straight for Sai's head at 130kph.
[DISSONANCE - FATAL DANGER] Time Dilation: Activated.
Sai's brain processed the danger. He couldn't duck—it was dipping towards his face. He couldn't sway.
Deflect. Sai instinctively raised his bat in front of his face like a shield. The ball hit the face of the bat.
CRACK.
Because it was a fast full toss, and the bat was angled up... The ball flew off the bat. It sailed over the Wicketkeeper's head. It sailed over the slip cordon. It kept going.
SIX.
Top edge six over fine leg.
The Umpire signaled "No Ball" (Height).
Yadav stood there, hands on his hips. He had tried to kill the kid, and the kid had inadvertently hit him for a six.
Sai checked his bat. No crack. The glue held. He looked at Yadav. "Free Hit," Sai said calmly.
The Postal Department fielders looked at each other. They weren't looking at a child anymore. They were looking at a problem.