Story c39_0823|Born to Fight for Success - A Journey with SA Redbacks, Innings 2 of WW Vs SA FC

[SiriusBlack]

edited

 

[surendar]

Enjoyed reading through the last few pages. Looking forward to more. Keep up the good work!

Thank you Simon.

Short Review

Let me see what I can do on this, but would recommend to visit the first post of this thread - it has been indexed on all the chapters till 18( would be indexing the rest once the match is finished ). The indexes with titles might summarize all the things that has happened till now, recommended to visit them to feel the real reading experience which would be better than reading the summary in short. I would still see whether I can come up with short reviews for new readers. Thank you.

Updates of Day2 coming up Shortly!

 

[surendar]

Chapter 22
TN Vs UP, End of Day 2 - My Mission Failed, TN fights back on Session 3.
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May 22, 2009
Time - 06 : 30 PM​

With everyone in my dressing room gathered for the strategy discussion, coach and myself inspected the pitch to get an insight on the conditions. Strategy from my coach was very clear to get the lead as much as we could considering that tail has been exposed. However for the first time, my coach had few elements of trust in me handing over a responsible mission on Day 2 to me,

"Suren, every time I have enforced a challenge, I observe you to be reacting well with good plans around it regardless of achieving or not. This time, I am going to be slightly different in trusting you. Yes, I am going to rely on you to bat with the tail & get us to a good position. Looking at the pitch, I don't really see it as threaten if we overcome it for an hour. Remember, Steve Waugh? Remember his innings with tail? As a coach, I am going to back you up with full trust to rescue our team. You take care of whichever strategy is apt for you with the tail, Good Luck!" - Raman's words before I left my dressing room for Day 2's batting.

These words really made me to feel completely different from how I was on Day 1. I kept determined to assess my role in the team and play to my best with full strength and confidence.

Resumed My Natural Game, YES! YES! YES!​

... This is a moment, that I was waiting for ...​

My strategy was very clear in me taking most of the strikes along with accelerating the score. I clearly instructed Kumar not to go for any deliveries, been it a good or bad one. I started dominating the bowlers, however there was lot of turns on the pitch which Mishra really held us in check. Mishra bowled most of the overs starting on Day 2, I failed to dominate Mishra though I was able to bat fluently in the other end of bowling.

I reached fifty in no matters time, and I felt so good when coach stood up from dressing room giving me a 'thumbs up' symbol at me. I am aware that, I am being watched with full attention now and all I wished is to keep this going. Spinning conditions on the pitch turned as major obstacle for us with the leg spinner(Mishra) continuously enforcing questions in his every delivery.

Sad that, I lost Kumar who left clueless on one of the last deliveries of Mishra's over. Though he blocked around 20 deliveries, he became the victim of Mishra's clueless leg spin. Yes, LBW! It looked to me as missing off stumps, but umpire gave it OUT. I passed on the same instructions to Balaji, but knowing his natural hitting skills, he was not able to control it for long time. Yes, Balaji became Mishra's 5th victim in the similar way like Kumar. Yes, another LBW! Situation became completely different on me, when Sam(our left arm seamer) got dismissed on the very first ball to Mishra. 6 wickets to him, with ball spinning like Warne's magical deliveries! I never knew that Mishra can turn this much, atleast he did not do this on INTL level.

Things became too tough for me with 9 wickets going down, & I was supposed to take a lead role in managing the tail enders. I made sure that, I am not looking at the dressing room as I am aware of my coach's reaction very well. Only thing which I did was, trying to keep Yo Mahesh who was our last batsman, away from the strikes. Yes, I started keeping strikes and kept ticking the scorecard.

Damn, I didn't even realize that I was on nervous 90's so quick. But I didn't bother - I took our team's score past 300 & my score past 100! Yes, I realized that I reached that magical 3 figures without even thinking about it or feeling nervous about it. I got to 101 with a magical four from Murtaza, & I raised my bat to my dressing room acknowledging, " YES, I WILL DO IT! "

Moment I Promised, Moment I Failed! ​

I shouldn't have opened my mouth when I got my CENTURY!​

It was just the moment I felt so relieving with confidence that I can do it for my team, Murtaza got me with his flighted delivery. It tempted me to go after him for a big SIX, but all it did was a bottom edge and to the stumps! I just cannot believe that the flighted delivery completely deceived me. Probably, I became overconfident as it was not Mishra!

Very much frustrated that, I couldn't be successful for a long time like how my coach wished to me. I had my personal target to get the team pass by 370-400 runs, but I just failed because of my aggressive overconfidence. Walked back to the dressing room, though the fielders of UP applauded for me, my coach did not give any reaction. He just kept quiet on seeing me with giving a pat on my shoulder. It sounded like, 'better luck next time' but I was too frustrated with myself for being on the irresponsible side again.

End of Innings 1, Tamil Nadu​

Oh Yea, Suren Ram sadly couldn't go pass Arun Karthik's score. ​

Scorecard pretty much summarized, only me & Arun on the lower order took the team to a decent fighting score without which we could have seen a score below 100 as well!

It was just few moments before lunch, we began our bowling session and UP made sure that they didn't loose a wicket & kept marching to a score of 49 runs in 13 overs they faced before Lunch. Yes, pitch looked to soften up more and from Day 1, it is always the session 1/3 which has produced wickets. With our bowlers on pressure of getting a opening break through under such a hot condition, we headed for lunch to revise our strategy.

TN missed 'A Wicket Taking' bowler, probably Ashwin!​

On such an excellent spinning conditions, we only had 1 spinner - S Kumar! ​

Session 2 of the day was pretty much on dominating side from Raina & Kaif. Yes, Yo Mahesh did get an opening breakthrough but it was stolen from our bowlers by Kaif and Suresh Raina.

Raina, being our National side player, proved his batting skills without any doubts. He dominated all our bowlers including our only spinner, Kumar. With Kumar being an offspinner, we knew that he would go for some runs but we did not expect him to be dominated like a level 1 rookie. Yes, he was taken out from attack after bowling 3 overs as Raina started going after him with huge back to back SIXES!

I just told our skipper, Karthik - " We need a leg spinner! ". Guess what? I am the only leg spinner that, my skipper gave me the ball to bowl after seeing all our bowlers being taken for run. I was totally surprised and shocked to go and bowl some leg spin! LOL, I was no different from other bowlers that I also ended up giving away runs and was taken off the attack immediately. I should admit that bowling was different experience though!

Balaji & Kumar Fight BACK!​

Session after Tea made us to come back lively again!​

It was a brilliant comeback by us to send Raina back to pavilion after Tea, he reached his fifty but we made sure that he doesn't end up to 3 figures. Yes, he was dismissed for 60+ runs. Nath, who was the next batsman had some fireworks with Kaif being rooted on other end. It was just the moment we thought we have lost the control with this partnership, we got hold of Nath on 48 runs! Yes, another wicket. Kumar & Balaji kept UP batsmen in check that we continued to get wickets in regular intervals after Tea.

However, UP still managed to build up a pressure around us when Kaif, by his century, took the score past our 300 runs. It was because of domination from Raina & Nath, their scoring rate was close to 5 RPO even though we managed to take wickets regularly in Session 3. Kaif did not last long after century either, he was dismissed for 104 Runs!

We did have an attacking field set to wrap up the 10th wicket at end of Day 2, but they survived somehow and ended up with 44 Runs lead when umpire called it a day! Yes, they ended up @ 350/9 from 73 Overs. If we had got an early hold of Raina and Kaif, things would have been different but we are still good with the lead being just around 44 runs. All we had to make sure is, to wrap up the innings within first 5 overs of Day 3 and overcome the first session of Day 3 without wickets.

Lot of moments going to & fro between TN and UP, but the game at end of Day 2 stays balanced and lively with either of the teams having chances to win this with 3 days to go! Game is balanced at this stage.

UP : 350/9( 1st Innnings, 73 Overs )
[ TN : 306/10, UP Lead By 44 Runs ]

M Kaif : 104(138 balls)
S Raina : 63(60 balls)
A Nath : 48(39 balls)

S Kumar : 4/118(23)
L Balaji : 3/53(17)

TN may look good at this moment, but can Suren Ram work towards keeping up his trust among his team as a responsible player than an irresponsible smash-out/get-out batsman? Stayed Tuned to find out more!
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[Aravind.]

Realistic at its best great update as always.

 

[surendar]

Realistic at its best great update as always.

Thank you. Yeah, felt realistic while playing the game as well during every ball in those 180 overs till now.

**cough**cough**After loosing wicket of Suren Ram, I didn't want to load the saved game due to figures/situation/scores being on realistic mode.

 

[MaD]

Well at least its not too much of a lead, looks like its going to be a good match.
Unlucky for Ram, but at least he got that century

 

[surendar]

Predicta Contest - Winners

Credits to Arun for having created this banner
​

Firstly, Thanks everyone for the participation in this predicta contest. Based on the predictions,

• People who voted for 'Murali Vijay' : None
  
• People who voted for 'Suren Ram' : Meet, Matt
  
• People who voted for 'Arun Karthik' : Samuels, Arun, Jack Ryder, MaD
  
• People who voted for 'Others' : None

With young lad, Suren Ram failing to meet the expectations of Matt & Meet, he has to kick himself back to survive in this healthy competition. Better luck next time, Matt & Meet. Thank you for the confidence you had on this young lad. Hopefully, he doesn't disappoint his fans in near future.

On the other side, 4 of our folks - Samuels, Arun and Jack Ryder and MaD are winners of our predicta contest. Yes, Arun Karthik has clearly carried forward his experience and has been the top scorer of the match until now. Really, a fabulous batting!

We will meet you soon in another predicta contest. Stay Tuned.

UP : 350/9( 1st Innnings, 73 Overs )
[ TN : 306/10, UP Lead By 44 Runs ]

M Kaif : 104(138 balls)
S Raina : 63(60 balls)
A Nath : 48(39 balls)

S Kumar : 4/118(23)
L Balaji : 3/53(17)

Can Suren Ram create any opportunities in Second Innings? Stay Tuned to find out more.
​

 

[Aravind.]

Thanks bro and i proud in giving a small contribution to this new story.

 

[surendar]

Well at least its not too much of a lead, looks like its going to be a good match.
Unlucky for Ram, but at least he got that century

Yep, even I was disappointed in reality as well when I mistimed it. With Indian domestic circuit always demanding to be on top with consistent 3 figure innings every time to make way for national side, and with current storyline I have planned for Suren Ram - these things might/would cost big. In Short, Raman( the coach ) can turn to a 'vince mcmahon' any point. Lets see.

Thanks bro and i proud in giving a small contribution to this new story.

No issues Arun, it is always readers who comes first in terms of contribution to story. I am glad to use it, actually waited for this before proceeding with next update. Thanks.

All the winners of Predicta contest - VCash Distributed.

 

[surendar]

Chapter 23
TN Vs UP, End of Day 2 - Some Announcements & Nightmares!
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May 22, 2009
Time - 11 : 30 PM​

Yes, after the brilliant fight back from us, we packed up and left the ground after some batting practice. This time, I spent with team to have some strokes practice. I felt so tempted to ask my coach directly to send me high up the batting order considering the softness on the pitch but I just kept quiet returning home.

What??? Am I seeing 'Duck with Golden Egg'?​

All I need to do, is to have my coach impressed with my performance!​

When my coach was giving reference to IPL, not everyone believed on it. When I saw my coach having discussions with some officials during my extended nets session, I did not see this coming. Voillaa! When I just saw that in news flash - Raman, as a coach of Chennai Super Kings, I got shocked and felt so dumb that I did not even realize on the things happening around my coach.

I called my skipper, Karthik to find more about this and he surprised me saying that, he knew it some days back. However, Karthik would not be playing for Chennai. After seeing this flash news, I felt all sort of mixed reactions in me as my next short goal to reach is - 'Get Selected for one of the IPL teams!' This would be a really a golden opportunity for me to grab it, if and only if, I can execute the plan well.

'Determination, Confidence & Never Give UP!' is what all I needed and I felt so energetic even at the bed time that I kept browsing my facebook clicking again & again on news feed. Well, without even reading the news feed! I just kicked myself hard to shut down the computers and to hit the bed for sleep. With 3 challenging days that we have in this test match, all I need is to fight for my rights to climb up the competition ladder. Hopefully, I can talk to my coach and see for the feasibility to come up the batting order for proving my skills. Hopefully, things go well and I just closed my eyes welcoming my sleep and to have my mind refreshed well!

Overall, Day 2 was very good for me. Batted hardly for an hour, but still fought bravely with a ton though I failed to fulfill my coach's wish of hanging around for long time getting the team to stronger position. With the late evening flash news of my coach taking charge on CSK as well, I just felt some signs of positiveness around me somehow though I really don't know on the things coming up round the corner! Good or bad, All is well and it is the only thing that I hope every time in me.

​

UP : 350/9( 1st Innnings, 73 Overs )
[ TN : 306/10, UP Lead By 44 Runs ]

M Kaif : 104(138 balls)
S Raina : 63(60 balls)
A Nath : 48(39 balls)

S Kumar : 4/118(23)
L Balaji : 3/53(17)

Day 3 Actions Coming Up NEXT!
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[MaD]

Good luck to Ram, needs to prove himself if he's going to get selected for CSK!

 

[Aravind.]

Hoping to see ram in ipl.

 

[surendar]

one small question to our readers - are you guys able to view the images in this thread? For some reason, I am not able to the view the pictures in firefox browser now.

Not sure whether it is imageshack problem or my browser issue, if anyone is facing this issue - please let me know, I will try re-uploading. Thank you.

 

[Aravind.]

No problems for me & i am using chrome.

 

[surendar]

Thank you everyone for the views/feedback, just an update that I have finished the Day 3 lunch time game-play and updates would be coming up shortly. Stay Tuned.

I should admit that, I am still enjoying every ball I play in this match/game.