Date: June 20, 2012 Location: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Malaysia.
The queue at immigration was long. Sai held his passport tightly. It was brand new, issued just weeks ago under the "Tatkal" scheme with a recommendation letter from the BCCI. He looked at the stamp as the officer thumped it down. MALAYSIA - ENTRY.
He walked out into the arrivals hall. It felt... different. The air conditioning was colder, the lights brighter. But outside, the air was familiar. Thick, humid, tropical air. Just like Chennai, but cleaner.
The Team Bus
The India U-19 team boarded the bus. Unmukt Chand sat at the back, the "Seat of Power," with Harmeet Singh and Baba Aparajith. Sai sat in the middle, next to Sandeep Sharma.
"Look at the roads," Sandeep marveled. "No potholes."
Sai wasn't looking at the roads. He was looking at the itinerary Unmukt had passed around.
June 23: vs. Nepal (Kinrara Academy Oval).
June 24: vs. Pakistan (Kinrara Academy Oval).
Pakistan. The word carried a weight that no other word in cricket did. Even in U-19, India vs. Pakistan was war.
Date: June 23, 2012 Event: U-19 Asia Cup - Group A Match. Match: India U-19 vs. Nepal U-19. Location: Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur.
The Debut
Coach Bharath Arun announced the XI in the dressing room. "We are resting Vihari today. He has a niggle. Sai Krishna, you are playing. Number 3."
Sai's heart hammered against his ribs. He picked up the India Cap. It was Navy Blue with the BCCI logo embroidered on the front. Coach Arun placed it on Sai's head. "You earned this. Don't play for the cap. Play for the runs."
The Match
Nepal was an emerging team. They were spirited, but they weren't dangerous. India batted first. Unmukt Chand got out early, trying to smash a six over long-on. Score: 15/1.
Sai walked in. The Nepal bowler was a medium pacer (120 kph). Compared to the NCA nets, this felt like slow motion.
Ball 1: Length ball outside off. Sai left it. [CLICK] System Feedback: Perfect alignment. Zero energy waste.
Ball 2: Full ball on pads. Sai flicked it. [RESONANCE] The ball raced to the square leg boundary. FOUR.
The Routine Sai treated the Nepal match as a calibration session. He didn't try to dominate. He just executed his "Perfect Reps." Defense. Click. Drive. Click. Cut. Click.
He scored a methodical 55 Runs. He got out trying to accelerate, but the job was done. India posted 280. Nepal was bowled out for 150. India Won.
It was a soft landing. A gentle introduction to international cricket. But everyone knew the real test was tomorrow.