Date: July 10, 2011 Location: Gymkhana Grounds. Event: HCA Inter-Zonal U-16 Tournament. Match: North Zone (Sai/Vihan) vs. East Zone (The Age-Fraud Gang).
The East Zone team looked like a collection of bouncers from a nightclub. Their Captain, Balu, stood 6 feet tall, with a thick beard he tried to hide with a clean shave that left a visible blue shadow. He claimed to be 15. The driver's license in his bike probably said 20.
The Toss: Vihan (North Zone) won the toss and elected to Bat. "We will put runs on the board and pressure them," Vihan said confidently.
The Reality Check
Balu opened the bowling. He wasn't just fast. He was heavy. He bowled a short ball to Vihan in the first over. Vihan, usually elegant, tried to pull. The ball got big on him. It hit the handle. Pop. Easy catch to mid-wicket. North Zone: 5/1.
Vihan walked back, throwing his gloves. "That's not U-16 pace! That's A-Division pace!"
Sai walked in at Number 3. Balu saw him. "Oye, Gym Boy!" Balu yelled. "Did you bring your protein shake? You'll need it."
The Battle
Sai took his guard. [SYSTEM ANALYSIS] Bowler: Balu. Speed: 128-132 kph. Action: Jerky. Effort-based. Stamina Prediction: Low.
Sai knew biology. A 19-year-old body pretending to be 16 has power, but often lacks the aerobic engine of a trained athlete. Balu looked heavy.
Ball 1: Balu steamed in. Yorker. Sai dug it out. [CLICK].
Ball 2: Bouncer. Sai swayed.
Ball 3: Balu bowled wide. He was trying too hard to kill the kid.
Sai walked to his partner (a nervous 14-year-old). "Don't hit him," Sai whispered. "Just block. Make him bowl 4 overs. He will tire out."
The Tactic
Sai batted for 10 overs. He scored only 15 runs. But Balu bowled 5 overs on the trot. By the 5th over, Balu's speed dropped from 130 kph to 115 kph. He was panting, hands on his knees.
Over 6: Balu bowled a slow, tired half-volley. Sai stepped out. [SYSTEM MODE: POWER] He hit it straight back over Balu's head. FOUR.
Balu glared, but he was too tired to sledge. He took himself off the attack. Once the "Men" were tired, the North Zone batsmen feasted on the reserve bowlers.
North Zone Total: 210/6 in 50 Overs. (Sai Krishna: 65 off 80 balls).
The Second Innings: Tactics
East Zone came out to bat. They were sloggers. They didn't know technique. They knew only one way: Hit hard.
Score: 80/0 in 10 Overs. They were destroying the North Zone bowlers. Vihan was panicking. "They are hitting everything! Fast bowling, spin, everything!"
Vihan looked at Sai. "Vice-Captain! Ideas?"
Sai looked at the East Zone openers. They were swinging across the line. "Vihan," Sai said calmly. "Stop trying to get them out. Try to bore them."
"Bore them?"
"Pack the off-side field. 7 fielders on the off-side. Bowl wide outside off stump. Make them reach. They have big egos. They won't leave the ball."
Vihan hesitated. It was a negative tactic. "Do it," Sai urged.
Vihan signaled the change. Fielders moved. The "Off-Side Trap" was set.
The Trap
The bowler bowled wide outside off. Balu (batting now) couldn't slog to the leg side (his strength). He reached out to slash it through covers. But there were 7 fielders there. Dot ball. Dot ball. Dot ball.
Balu's ego flared. I am a man. I don't play dot balls against kids. He tried to drag a wide ball to the leg side by brute force. He lost his shape. Top edge.
The ball went straight up in the air. Sai, standing at cover, didn't move. He waited. The ball fell into his hands.
"Gone," Sai whispered.
The collapse followed. The "Uncles" had no Plan B. Once the slog failed, they crumbled. East Zone All Out: 165.
North Zone Won by 45 Runs.
Vihan hugged Sai. "Bore them to death! What a strategy!" Sai smiled. "Physics and Ego, Captain. Deadly combination."
Chapter 32: The Vijay Merchant Trophy
Date: August 15, 2011 Location: HCA Office.
The list was out. Hyderabad State Team for Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16).
Vihan Reddy (Captain)
V. Sai Krishna (Vice-Captain) ...
This was it. The Vijay Merchant Trophy was the gateway to the India U-19 team. If you scored heavily here, you got into the Zonal Academy (NCA).
The Kit Distribution
The team gathered at Gymkhana to receive their official state kits. This wasn't the white uniform. This was the Colored Jersey for the One-Day format. Canary Yellow with Black stripes. And on the chest, the HCA Logo (The Charminar).
Sai held the jersey. It had his name on the back. SAI KRISHNA - 14.
Rao was standing in the parents' section. He saw Sai holding the yellow jersey. He took off his glasses and wiped them. His son was representing the State.
Date: October 10, 2011 Location: Gymkhana Grounds. Match: Hyderabad U-16 vs. Goa U-16.
Goa was considered a "minnow" team. Hyderabad batted first.
Vihan Reddy was in supreme touch. He scored a century (105). Sai came in at Number 4 and scored a quickfire 60 Not Out. Hyderabad posted 310/4.
They crushed Goa by 150 runs. It was too easy.
The Reality Check
Date: October 18, 2011 Location: Visakhapatnam. Match: Hyderabad U-16 vs. Tamil Nadu U-16.
Tamil Nadu (TN) was the nemesis. Their team included Washington Sundar (yes, the future star) and N. Jagadeesan. They were technically superior and tactically ruthless.
The Crisis
On a turning track in Vizag, TN spinners spun a web. Hyderabad collapsed. 75/5. Vihan was out for 10.
Sai was batting on 20. He was facing Sai Kishore (Left-arm spinner, tall, lanky). The ball was bouncing and turning.
Sai realized that his "Power" game wouldn't work here. The heavy SS Ton bat was too heavy for quick adjustments against spin. He needed to adapt.
[SYSTEM ALERT] Surface: High Abrasion. Turn: 8 degrees. Adjustment: Shorten the backlift.
Sai choked up on the handle. He played softly. He batted with the tailenders. He guided the Number 9 batsman, a nervous boy named Ravi. "Ravi, just touch and run. Don't hit."
Sai farmed the strike. He scored 85 Runs. The rest of the team scored 60. Hyderabad reached 145.
The Second Innings Fight
Defending 145 was impossible against TN. But Sai, fielding at Slip, noticed something about the TN opener. He was planting his front foot too far across.
Sai ran to Vihan. "Vihan, bring the Left-Arm Spinner. Tell him to bowl round the wicket. Pitch it on leg stump."
"Leg stump? That's negative bowling!"
"No. He plants his foot. If we pitch on leg and straighten it, he is LBW."
Vihan trusted Sai. The spinner bowled. Pitch on leg. Straightened. Impact in line. "HOWZAT!"
The Umpire raised his finger.
It was a small victory. Hyderabad eventually lost the match (TN chased it with 4 wickets left), but Sai had proven that Hyderabad could fight.
The Selection Letter
Two weeks later. The Zonal matches were over. Sai had scored: 60, 85, 40*, 110* (vs Kerala).
Average: 98.3.
A letter arrived at Sai's house in Kukatpally. It had the BCCI logo.
Subject: Selection for South Zone U-16 Camp (ZCA) at Bangalore.
Sai showed it to his dad. Rao read it. "Bangalore again?"
"Yes, Nanna. But this time, it's the National Cricket Academy (NCA) facility."
The NCA. The factory where Indian cricketers were built.
Sai packed his SS Ton. He looked at the mirror. 14 years old. HCA Jersey. BCCI Letter.
The game is just starting.