Well folks, I had developed a lot of my skills- fielding, bowling etc. However, I hadn't produced a performance that cried out "I have arrived, fear me!". The day wasn't far from the last memorable moment, I soon found out.
It was a day after I had had a gross injustice committed to me. I had been totally snubbed by Sundar, who was the team captain, while he threw the ball to supposed heavyweights like Santhosh and Ramkumar who were unrestrained in their profligacy. The thing that struck me most was the fact that Santhosh had been given the first oved of the innings, and he went for 12 runs. Yet, he was given the over without even a slight hesitation by Sundar.
If I had given away so many runs in my over, even due to my misfortune, I would have shunned for an entire semester, keeping in mind that single over.
The gross injustice of it all fueled my fire that had been raging for quite a long time. It had already been lit ablaze a long time back when silly idiots used to comment about my bowling. What do these people know about cricket or spin bowling to teach me my job, let alone talk about it?
Anyway, I decided it was time to unleash the fire (maybe instincts slogan was inspired from this moment) in me. The next match I got the opportunity.
I was given an over, with strict warning not to give away runs, with a balanced field. The batsmen at the crease were Vijay and Raghavan- no two heavyweights, yet no pushovers. I went around the wicket for the first few deliveries and found that I had remarkeable spin. Pitching on middle or off I spun the ball way outside off stump that it was immediately termed a wide. I tried my best to control my line or spin, by angling it more towards middle or leg stump, or trying to reduce the spin, all to no avail.
Just then, Vijay had a brainwave. He jokingly told me try bowling around the stumps. It was a casual comment, yet I saw the wisdom in it. The immediately changed to around the stumps, to miraculous effects. From that angle, my balls pitched just on or outside leg stump and spun far away from off stump.
Every ball was speared in at the same spot with the accuracy of a sniper or Glenn Mcgrath (whichever side of the globe you are) and every time the ball spun, bounced and evaded all efforts of Raghavan, Vijay, later Sundar and some others' desperate grasp. It seemed they had no idea of where the ball was heading. I had thought (a few matches before) my heydays as a great legspinner ala Warne had ended, and that I had forgotten the deep leg spin.
Not even in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would recover my pomp so soon, and at this match. Maybe it was the pitch, or perhaps it was the conditions (sunny day), or perhaps it was just my day; whatever it was I took top honours that day as a bowler.
However, we lost the match- due to Vijay's good fortune, who got more than 3 lives, one of which was a dropped catch of mine ().
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