Episode 40

Mar 25 2007

Cricket Star XI disappoints against Air India XI!

This was the final game the Cricket Star XI would play as a team. After defeating the Leicestershire Foxes, it was important for the boys to go out on a high. Unfortunately, Air India XI had a few great strokes in their kitty to press for victory as Cricket Star XI lost direction.

This was a match to be cherished. The boys were playing against their batting coach and esteemed ex-Indian player, Praveen Amre, who also led the Air India side that boasted of another ex-Indian wicketkeeper, Sameer Dighe. The boys also met Siddharth Trivedi and Dhaval Kulkarni.

Air India wicketkeeper Naman Ojha set his team off to a rollicking start capitalising on Praveth’s off target bowling. While Rahil Sheikh was not spared either, he at least teased the batsmen at intervals. However, Ojha was in no mood to relent and Air India was flying high while he was at the crease alongside Paul Valthaty.

Ojha’s flourish of 31 off just 16 balls was finally brought to an end by Sukhvir’s bowling in the fifth over. Valthaty tried to take over the master blaster’s mantle, but soon perished for 27. Thereafter, Karan Joshi was forced to bring on his spin, and Piyush Negi and Dinesh Salunke tried to contain the batsmen. Piyush was hit for a few runs, but came back strongly getting his revenge against none other than Sameer Dighe.

The Cricket Star XI’s fielding was not exactly on top of the game as Rahil dropped what should have been an easy catch on the boundary as did Sukhvir. Prabhu pulled off alert stumping, but even he missed an opportunity to take a catch. However, it did not seem to hurt the Cricket Star XI too much as the Air India batsmen failed to capitalise on the good start and their innings fell apart. Dheeraj Jadhav could not repeat his feat against the spin of the Cricket Star XI and Air India folded on 129.

Set 130 to chase, a modest target in Twenty20 matches these days, Cricket Star XI batsmen seemed more eager to finish on a flourish than show the patience required in tricky situations that culminate out of chasing such short totals. Mohammad Abbas and Piyush Negi followed each other in quick succession to the dressing room and suddenly with the fall of S Prabhu’s wicket, it become obvious that this was not a match that was going to come easy. The fall of Dinesh’s wicket meant that Cricket Star XI had slumped to 75 for 6, almost to a point of no return.

It became a Herculean task when the Cricket Star XI found themselves chasing a target at over 10 runs per over, a situation that looked increasingly tough as wickets became few and far between. Suddenly what seemed a confident side at the change between innings soon became a despairing lot.

Man of the match: Dhaval Kulkarni was adjudged the man of the match for his three wickets including those of Karan and Dinesh Salunke. He earned the praise of none other than cricketing stalwart, Kapil Dev. But from the Cricket Star XI, it was Dinesh Salunke who made a precedent of sorts at the Academy, bagging his third ‘the player who changed the course of the match’. Not only has he won some whopping pay cheques, he also stands a good chance to become the first Cricket Star for India with outstanding bowling figures of four overs in which he conceded 15 runs while picking up three wickets on the road to checking the Air India innings.

But Dinesh is not the only one. The selectors handpicked four boys who they thought showed promised in the course of their stay at the Academy and who in their opinion were the best players. These included Karan Joshi, Mohammad Abbas, Samandeep Singh and Dinesh Salunke.

The final match is over. But the boys now have to leave everything to the verdict of the public who have a crucial vote to voice!