The match against the Under-19 Invitation XI proved to be a keenly contested event. And controversy did not take the back seat this time either. The captaincy debate was highlighted in the last week of reality television, but here is why the issue is far from resolved.

S Prabhu could not reconcile to the fact that Cricket Star XI managed only 153 after touching 100 in the 12th over. The boys dubbed the selectors’ decision to bring Karan Joshi into the danger zone as unfair. But when individually spoken to, each appeared to have their own grievance with the skipper. Many felt that having scored a quick 40, Karan slowed down the innings to make his half-century. They felt his self-centred batting cost them the match.

Few knew that the captaincy changed hands midway through the innings. Annoyed by the skipper’s approach, Robin Singh, director of the Cricket Star Academy, put Mohammad Abbas in charge.

There seemed a fair bit of confusion about who would bowl the crucial last over as well. Amiteshwar Singh was apparently not Abbas’ choice and supported that saying that Abbas would not have used him considering how the opposition had previously scored off the little sardar’s deliveries. It remains unclear which of the coaches had the final say, but the boys seem to have got into the spirit of thinking of big match situations.

As for the boys in the danger zone, Praveeth Kumar may have been the man of the match in the last game, but his expensive first over set the tone of the Invitation XI’s innings. Sukhvir was unusually dramatic at being nominated by the selectors.

Kadir Patel was the only one who was reconciled to his fate. By the time Kadir came in to bat at no.6, the innings had already lost momentum. With little time to set himself, he was forced to come in with the intention to launch, but was out at the first ball.