Date: September 2, 2012 Location: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad.
The arrival gate was choked with people. Drums were beating. Garlands of marigold were piled high on a table. When Sai walked out, pushing his trolley with the "India" kit bag, the noise was deafening. "Sai Krishna! Hyderabad Ka Sher!" (Lion of Hyderabad).
Rao was there, looking overwhelmed in a new shirt. Sai's mother was wiping tears. Reporters shoved microphones in his face. "Sai! Will you play for Sunrisers?" "Sai! Is Kohli your idol?" "Sai! Show us the medal!"
Sai smiled, nodded, and wore the heavy garlands. But amidst the chaos, he saw a familiar face standing at the back, away from the cameras. Coach Daniel. Daniel didn't have a garland. He had a stopwatch in his pocket. He gave Sai a small nod. The party is for today. The work starts tomorrow.
Date: October 10, 2012 Location: Gymkhana Grounds, Secunderabad. Event: Hyderabad Ranji Trophy Probables Camp.
The hype of the World Cup had faded. The accolades were on the shelf. Now, Sai was standing in the white flannels of Hyderabad, surrounded by men, not boys.
The Senior Dressing Room The atmosphere was different. In U-19, everyone was the same age, loud, and dreaming of the same thing. Here, there were 30-year-old veterans fighting to pay their bills. There were cynical pros who had seen ten "prodigies" come and go.
The Seniors:
Akshath Reddy (Captain): An elegant opener, established Ranji player.
DB Ravi Teja: The aggressive all-rounder.
Pragyan Ojha: (Currently away with Team India, but his locker loomed large).
Hanuma Vihari: Sai's U-19 teammate, but he had already made his First-Class debut two years ago. He was a "Senior Junior."
Sai walked in. He looked for a locker. "Oye, World Cup," a gruff voice called out. It was Alfred Absolem, the medium pacer. He was balding, looked angry, and bowled a heavy ball. "Don't put your bag there. That's VVS Laxman's spot. Even if he retired, we leave it empty."
"Sorry, Anna," Sai mumbled, moving his bag to a plastic chair in the corner.
The Hierarchy Vihari walked over. He looked more mature. "Sai, welcome to the jungle. Forget the Kookaburra ball. Here, we use the SG Test ball. And the pitches..." He pointed outside. "They are dead."
Date: October 15, 2012 Event: Selection Trial Match (Seniors vs. Probables).
The SG Test ball is a unique beast. It has a prominent, hand-stitched seam. It swings early, then stops. Then, after 40 overs, if maintained well, it Reverses. Adapting from the bouncy Australian tracks to the low, skidding Hyderabad pitch with the SG ball was a nightmare for technique.
The Net Session
Sai was batting in the "A" net. He was facing M. Hassan, a crafty left-arm spinner who had been playing league cricket for 15 years. Hassan didn't spin the ball much. He just didn't give runs.
Ball 1: Sai stepped out to drive (U-19 habit). The ball stuck in the pitch. Sai checked his shot. The ball popped up to short leg. "Out," Hassan said quietly. "Go back to U-19."
Sai flushed. [SYSTEM ALERT] Surface Dissonance: High Friction. Adjustment: Play late. Wait for the ball.
The Pacer Test
Then came Chama Milind.
Chama Milind ran in. He bowled with the old ball (40 overs old). Sai expected it to go straight. But the rough side was on the outside. Reverse Swing. The ball started outside leg and hooped in to hit the off-stump. Clatter.
Sai stood there, looking at his shattered stumps. In Australia, the ball moved in the air because of the wind. Here, it moved because of physics and aerodynamics.
The Selector's Chat
Mr. Venkatapathy Raju (Former India Spinner and HCA Selector) was watching. He walked up to Sai during the drinks break.
"Sai, you made 300 runs in Australia. Why are you struggling here?"
"The ball is stopping, Sir. And the reverse..."
"In U-19, you play on true wickets. In Ranji, you play on dustbowls, green tops, and highways. You have to learn to play ugly. The World Cup was poetry. Ranji is prose."
Chapter 57: The Selection and The First Class Cap
Date: November 1, 2012 Event: Ranji Trophy 2012-13 Squad Announcement.
The list was pinned on the Gymkhana notice board.
HYDERABAD SQUAD for Match 1 vs. Punjab:
Akshath Reddy (C)
DB Ravi Teja
Hanuma Vihari
B. Sandeep
...
V. Sai Krishna
He was in. But he wasn't in the XI yet. He was the reserve batsman. "You are the backup," the coach told him. "Watch and learn."
Date: November 2, 2012 Location: PCA Stadium, Mohali. Match: Punjab vs. Hyderabad (Ranji Trophy Group A).
Sai sat on the bench, wearing the heavy Hyderabad sweater. Mohali in November. Cold. Foggy. Punjab had Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh in their team (playing to get back into the Indian side).
Hyderabad batted first. Harbhajan Singh spun a web. Hyderabad collapsed for 180. Sai watched Yuvraj Singh smash a century in the second innings. Punjab won by an innings.
Sai carried the drinks. He saw the gap between "Good" and "Great." Yuvraj didn't just hit the ball; he dismissed it.
The Opportunity
Date: November 9, 2012 Location: Gymkhana Ground, Hyderabad. Match: Hyderabad vs. Madhya Pradesh.
The night before the match, DB Ravi Teja (Vice-Captain) fell ill. High fever. The team management panicked. They needed a top-order batsman.
Coach Sunil Joshi (Former India spinner, now Hyderabad Coach) called Sai to his room. "Kid, are you ready?"
"Yes, Sir."
"MP has Ishwar Pandey. He is the highest wicket-taker this season. He bowls 135 kph and moves it both ways. You bat at Number 3."
Number 3. The most critical position.
Date: November 10, 2012 Time: 9:00 AM Event: First Class Debut.
The Umpire called "Play." Hyderabad won the toss and batted. The Gymkhana pitch was green. A fresh morning wicket.
Over 1: Akshath Reddy faced Ishwar Pandey. Ball 4: Outswinger. Edge. Gone. 0/1.
The crowd (mostly retirees and stray dogs) was silent. Sai Krishna walked out. He wasn't wearing the India Blue. He was wearing the Hyderabad Whites. First Class Cap Number 182.
He marked his guard. Ishwar Pandey was tall (6'2"). He had a high-arm action.
Ball 1: Pandey ran in. Good length. Just outside off. Sai left it. [CLICK] Action: Shoulder Arms. Energy: 0.
The wicketkeeper, Naman Ojha, chatted. "World Cup kid? Let's see if he can handle the big boys."
The Grind
Sai didn't score a run for 20 balls. Ishwar Pandey was relentless. He gave nothing. This wasn't U-19 where you got a loose ball every over. Here, they could bowl 6 good balls in a row.
Ball 21: Pandey overpitched slightly. Sai leaned forward. He drove straight. The heavy outfield slowed the ball. Two runs. First runs in First Class Cricket.
The Test
Sai batted for two hours. He faced 80 balls. He scored 22 runs. It was slow. It was painful. But Hyderabad didn't lose another wicket in the session. Lunch: 65/1.
Coach Sunil Joshi nodded from the boundary. "He has temperament," Joshi noted. "He isn't fishing."
The Explosion (Post-Lunch)
After lunch, the sun came out. The pitch flattened. The spinner came on. Sai's eyes lit up. He stepped out. [RESONANCE] Lofted drive over mid-on. FOUR.
He grew in confidence. He reached his 50. A debut fifty. The seniors in the dressing room clapped politely. They had seen fifties before.
But Sai didn't stop. He batted through the day. He reached 80. Then 90.
Over 88: New Ball taken. Ishwar Pandey returned, angry and fresh. Sai was on 96.
Ball 1: Bouncer. Sai swayed.
Ball 2: Yorker. Sai dug it out.
Ball 3: Full and wide. The "Trap" ball. Sai saw the trap. Don't drive. Steer. He opened the face. He guided it past gully. FOUR.
Century. 100 Not Out on Debut.
He took off his helmet. He raised his bat to the empty stands, to his dad sitting under a tree, and to the dressing room. Akshath Reddy stood up and applauded.
Sai wiped his face. Ranji Trophy was hard. It was a grind. But the System worked here too. Physics was the same everywhere.
ai wiped his face. Ranji Trophy was hard. It was a grind. But the System worked here too. Physics was the same everywhere.