Date: March 13th, 2012.
Location: Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka.
Event: Match 2, Asia Cup 2012 (India vs. Sri Lanka).
The humid air of Dhaka buzzed with anticipation. The Sher-e-Bangla stadium was a cauldron of noise, filled with local fans eager to witness the World Champions in action. But back in the air-conditioned studios of Star Sports in Mumbai, the focus was entirely on the tectonic shifts within the Indian dressing room.
Harsha Bhogle: "Welcome, everyone, to the Asia Cup. The subcontinent's ultimate bragging rights are on the line. But before a single ball is bowled, we have to talk about the headlines generated in the boardroom. Siddanth Deva, at just 20 years of age, walks out today as the official Vice-Captain of the Indian National Team. Sunil Gavaskar, you've seen many leaders in your time. What does this appointment signify?"
Sunil Gavaskar: "It signifies absolute clarity from the BCCI, Harsha. They are not waiting for the future; they are handing the keys to the future right now. MS Dhoni is the undisputed leader, but by elevating Deva, they are creating a succession plan. He has the cricketing brain, he has the respect of the seniors, and most importantly, he handles pressure like a man who has played a hundred Tests, not someone who debuted a few years ago."
Ravi Shastri: "I'll tell you what impresses me more, Harsha. It's the decision made by the new Vice-Captain. With Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir missing, the opening slot alongside Sachin Tendulkar was vacant. It was a golden ticket. Deva, who has scored 34 centuries, could have easily taken it. Instead, what does he do? He goes to Dhoni and Fletcher and says, 'Give it to Rohit Sharma. Let me control the middle order.' That is selflessness. That is leadership."
Sanjay Manjrekar: "It's a massive gamble, though. Rohit Sharma has undeniable talent, the kind of lazy elegance that reminds you of Inzamam-ul-Haq or VVS Laxman. But his numbers in the middle order haven't reflected that talent. He gets bogged down. Pushing him to open against a new ball, against Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara... it could either make his career or break it."
Harsha Bhogle: "Well, we are about to find out. Let's go down to the center. Mahela Jayawardene and MS Dhoni are ready for the toss."
Match Referee David Boon watched as MS Dhoni flipped the coin.
"Tails," called Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene.
"It is Tails," Boon confirmed.
Ravi Shastri (Pitchside): "Mahela, you've won the toss. What's the decision?"
Jayawardene: "We are going to field first, Ravi. There's a bit of moisture underneath, and the dew will definitely be a major factor in the second innings. It will get harder for the bowlers to grip the ball later on. We want to chase."
Shastri: "MS, a new-look top order for you today."
Dhoni: "Yes, Rohit is going to open the innings with Paaji. He has been hitting the ball brilliantly in the nets. We are looking for a solid start and then capitalize at the death."
The die was cast. The experiment was officially underway.
The umpires walked out to the middle, followed by the Sri Lankan team.
From the Indian dugout, two men emerged. Sachin Tendulkar, the eternal icon, and Rohit Sharma, walking with a calm, almost sluggish stride that hid the nervous energy coursing through his veins.
In the dressing room, Siddanth Deva sat next to Virat Kohli, his pads off, watching the screen intently. "Watch his feet," Deva murmured to Kohli. "If he gets his front foot to the pitch of the ball today, Malinga is in trouble."
Lasith Malinga took the new white ball. He kissed the leather, wiped his brow, and marked his run-up. The crowd hushed, the collective intake of breath audible even over the broadcast feed.
Ball 0.1: Malinga to Rohit Sharma
Malinga slung the first ball in at 140 kmph. It angled across the right-hander. Rohit left it alone, watching it thud into Kumar Sangakkara's gloves. A respectful sighter.
Ball 0.2: Malinga to Rohit
Malinga hurled a 142 kmph swinging delivery outside off. Rohit didn't slash. He didn't panic. He leaned forward, presenting the full, broad face of the bat, driving it beautifully past mid-off.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Oh, what a glorious straight drive! Rohit Sharma gets off the mark in style! No need to run for that. Pure timing, right out of the textbook. He announces his arrival at the top of the order! He didn't try to muscle it; he merely stroked it."(FOUR)
Ball 0.6: Malinga to Rohit
Malinga banged it in short to finish the over, testing Rohit's reflexes. Rohit swayed elegantly out of the line, keeping his eyes glued to the ball.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"A testing first over from Malinga, but Rohit looks composed. Five runs off it."
Ball 1.4: Nuwan Kulasekara to Sachin Tendulkar
Kulasekara, relying on seam movement over sheer pace, drifted onto the pads. It was a cardinal sin against the Master. Sachin flicked his wrists effortlessly, using the bowler's pace, sending the ball racing to the deep square leg fence.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"Whipped away! The Little Master doesn't miss out on those. Clipped off his toes, bisecting the fielders perfectly! India gets going."(FOUR)
Ball 3.1: Malinga to Rohit
Malinga bowled short and wide, aiming to induce a false shot outside off. Rohit rose on his toes, transferred his weight back seamlessly, and cut it fiercely past point. The sound of the ball off the willow echoed sharply.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"Cracked away! Width offered by Malinga and Rohit punishes it. He has so much time to play his shots! The ball rockets to the boundary! Malinga glares, but Rohit doesn't flinch."(FOUR)
Despite the early boundaries, the Sri Lankan pacers kept the lines tight. The pitch was slightly two-paced, causing the ball to hold up on occasion, making aggressive strokeplay a hesitant endeavor. The score crept to 24/0 after 5 overs.
Ball 5.3: Kulasekara to Sachin
Kulasekara pitched the ball on a good length on middle stump. It didn't swing. It seamed away just a fraction off the deck, gripping slightly. Sachin, looking to work it to the leg side, closed the face of his bat a millisecond too early.
The ball took the leading edge. It popped up gently toward short cover. Tillakaratne Dilshan didn't have to move an inch; he just cupped his hands, looking almost surprised by the gift.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"Oh, he's chipped it! Dilshan takes the easiest of catches! The Master falls early in Mirpur! Kulasekara strikes! Sachin is disappointed, he played across the line to a ball that just held its line. The two-paced nature of this pitch has claimed its first victim. India loses their first wicket for 24."(WICKET - Sachin 6).
The stadium groaned. A collective sigh echoed across Mirpur. Sachin tucked his bat under his arm, shaking his head, and began the long walk back to the pavilion.
In the dressing room, Virat Kohli stood up, grabbing his helmet and bat.
Deva bumped fists with him. "Set the foundation, Cheeku. The pitch is slow. Take your time. Let Rohit play his natural game, you anchor it until the spinners come on."
"I'll build the wall," Kohli promised, striding out to the middle with a purposeful jog.
At 24/1, the pressure was squarely on the two young men at the crease. Rohit Sharma, playing his first high-stakes innings as a designated opener, and Virat Kohli, the aggressively ambitious No. 3 who despised starting slowly.
Mahela Jayawardene introduced spin early, bringing on the veteran Rangana Herath and the tall off-spinner Suraj Randiv to exploit the slow pitch and tie the young batters down. What followed was an absolute masterclass in strike rotation, gap manipulation, and risk-free accumulation.
Ball 8.5: Herath to Kohli
Kohli stepped out to the spinner, measuring the flight perfectly. He didn't try to slog it out of the park; he drove it flawlessly through extra cover, the ball racing along the carpet.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"Glorious cover drive by Virat Kohli! He shimmies down the track, meets the pitch of the ball, and caresses it through the gap! That is sheer class. He is telling Herath he won't be bullied by flight."(FOUR)
Ball 11.2: Angelo Mathews to Rohit
Mathews was brought on to bowl his heavy, cross-seam medium pace. He bowled a back-of-a-length delivery. Rohit waited an eternity. It looked as if he was playing the ball in slow motion before he pulled it elegantly behind square.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"That is the lazy elegance we talk about! He picked the length so early, rocked back, and just rolled his wrists. Four runs to Rohit Sharma. Mathews just shakes his head."(FOUR)
Ball 14.4: Randiv to Kohli
Kohli tapped the ball towards mid-on and took off for a quick single. A slight misfield by Malinga allowed the ball to trickle to the rope after Kohli drove firmly.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"Poor fielding by Malinga there, lets it slip right through. Kohli won't mind, he picks up another boundary to keep the scoreboard ticking. They are turning the screws on Sri Lanka with this rotation of strike."(FOUR)
Drinks Break (15 Overs):
India 78/1. The twelfth man, Suresh Raina, ran out with drinks. Deva had sent a message.
"Sid says the ball is getting softer," Raina relayed to Rohit. "The seam is dying. You can start hitting through the line now. Trust the bounce."
Ball 18.3: Kulasekara to Rohit
Kulasekara pitched up, looking for reverse swing that wasn't there yet. Rohit accepted the invitation. He didn't muscle it; he just lofted it straight over the bowler's head with a graceful arc of the bat, the ball taking one bounce over the rope.
[Commentary - Bhogle]:"Shot of a man in supreme confidence! Lofted straight down the ground! Rohit Sharma is looking incredibly comfortable at the top of the order! That's the first sign of real aggression!"(FOUR)
Ball 21.1: Herath to Kohli
Kohli rocked back, making room for himself, and cut hard past point. The fielder dived but had no chance.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"Cut away fiercely! Kohli brings up the team hundred with a cracking boundary! The partnership is blossoming beautifully here in Mirpur. They have completely shut the door on the Sri Lankan spinners."(FOUR)
By the 25th over, India reached 132/1. Rohit and Kohli had completely neutralized the Sri Lankan attack. They weren't hitting sixes; they were dissecting the field with surgical precision. Rohit brought up his half-century (50 off 62 balls) with a gentle push to long-off, raising his bat to a cheering dressing room. Deva, standing on the balcony, clapped the loudest. The experiment wasn't just working; it was flourishing.
Having established the base, the two Indian stalwarts decided to shift gears. The pitch had eased out under the intense afternoon sun, baking the surface into a batting paradise. The Sri Lankan bowlers, drenched in sweat, were beginning to look exhausted, their shoulders drooping slightly.
Ball 27.2: Malinga to Rohit
Malinga returned to the attack, desperate for a breakthrough. He tried a sharp, rising bouncer. Rohit, his eyes completely set, swiveled and hooked it effortlessly over fine leg into the stands.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"INTO THE STANDS! What a magnificent hook shot! Rohit Sharma dismisses the bouncer from Lasith Malinga with absolute disdain! The first six of the match, and it has landed in the second tier!"(SIX)
Ball 28.5: Mathews to Kohli
Kohli charged Mathews, meeting the ball on the half-volley, and whipped him over mid-wicket with an incredible use of bottom hand power.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"The wrists of Virat Kohli! He whips it away over mid-wicket for a one-bounce four! He is accelerating now, smelling the weakness in the attack! The intensity in his eyes is frightening!"(FOUR)
Ball 31.4: Randiv to Rohit
Rohit went down on one knee, turning the off-spinner into a delivery meant for the stands. He slog-swept Randiv high and handsome into the deep mid-wicket bleachers.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"MASSIVE! Slog swept into the orbit! Rohit Sharma is putting on a clinic! The Sri Lankan spinners have no answers to this onslaught! It's raining boundaries in Dhaka!"(SIX)
Ball 33.1: Malinga to Kohli
Kohli flicked a low full toss past square leg, the ball tracing a burning line across the grass.
[Commentary - Bhogle]:"Flicked away! That brings up the fifty for Virat Kohli! A masterful innings, playing the perfect foil to Rohit. He raises his bat, soaking in the applause. The partnership is now past 150! Sri Lanka are running out of ideas."(FOUR)
Ball 35.3: Kulasekara to Rohit
Rohit carved a wide delivery over point, opening the face of the bat late to deliberately slice it.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"In the air... and safe! Sliced over point for a one-bounce four! Rohit is edging closer to that magical three-figure mark! He is finding gaps that don't even exist!"(FOUR)
Ball 37.6: Herath to Kohli
Kohli stepped out and launched Herath straight over the sightscreen. The sheer power of the shot forced the bowler to duck for cover.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"DOWNTOWN! Virat Kohli says enough is enough, I'm joining the six-hitting party! Phenomenal strike straight down the ground! The ball shatters the silence of the bowler's end!"(SIX)
Ball 39.2: Mathews to Rohit
Rohit drove sumptuously through the covers, a shot dripping with class and finesse.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"Exquisite! The cover drive of dreams! Rohit Sharma moves into the nineties with a shot that deserves to be framed! He is making batting look like a walk in the park!"(FOUR)
Ball 40.5: Malinga to Kohli
Kohli steered a blistering 145 kmph yorker past short third man, using the bowler's pace entirely.
[Commentary - Bhogle]:"Clever, very clever! Kohli uses the pace of Malinga and guides it to the third man boundary! India races past 200! This is a masterclass in modern ODI batting!"(FOUR)
The 41st over began with raw electricity in the air. The crowd was on its feet, sensing dual milestones.
Ball 41.2: Kulasekara to Rohit
Rohit tapped the ball to cover and sprinted for a quick single. He threw his arms up before he even crossed the crease, roaring as he completed the run.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"HUNDRED FOR ROHIT SHARMA! A spectacular century! He was pushed to open the batting today, and he has responded with an absolute masterclass! 100 runs of pure, unadulterated class! The Hitman has arrived on the grandest stage!" Just an over later, Virat Kohli tapped a single to long-on, ripping off his helmet and leaping into the air, screaming in delight, his face contorted in passionate celebration.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"AND THERE IT IS! CENTURY FOR VIRAT KOHLI! Back-to-back hundreds for the Indian batsmen! What an unbelievable partnership this has been! They have ground the Sri Lankan bowling into the dust! A 200-run stand between two of India's brightest stars! The future is now!"
Ball 42.1: Malinga to Rohit
Malinga bowled a slower ball, beautifully disguised from the back of the hand. Rohit, sensing the change of pace, defended it back watchfully.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"Good slower ball to start the 43rd over. No run. Malinga is trying to disrupt the rhythm."(DOT)
Ball 42.2: Malinga to Kohli
Kohli drove it down to long-off for a comfortable, stress-free single.
[Commentary - Bhogle]:"Just a single down to long-off. Sensible batting. They don't need to take undue risks against Malinga yet."(1 RUN)
Ball 42.3: Malinga to Rohit
Malinga ran in, aiming for the wide yorker, a delivery he had mastered over the years. He missed his length slightly, bowling a low full toss outside off stump.
Rohit, eyes lighting up, stepped across his stumps and tried to loft it clean over the long-on boundary for a maximum. He swung hard, but the exhaustion of a 118-ball vigil finally showed. The bat turned slightly in his sweaty hands, stripping the shot of its necessary elevation.
The ball flew flat and fast toward the boundary. Tillakaratne Dilshan, stationed at long-on, ran to his right, slid across the turf, and grabbed the ball mere inches from the grass.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"In the air... and TAKEN! Dilshan takes a brilliant, low catch in the deep! Malinga strikes! The mammoth 212-run partnership is finally broken! Rohit Sharma has to depart after a magnificent 106 off 118 balls! Sri Lanka finally has something to cheer about, but what an innings we have just witnessed!"(WICKET - Rohit 106).
Score: 236/2.
The crowd rose to give Rohit Sharma a standing ovation. He raised his bat, exhausted but deeply content. As he neared the boundary rope, Siddanth Deva was already walking out, fully padded up, his bat twirling in his hand, his eyes focused entirely on the 22 yards.
They met just inside the boundary.
Rohit stopped, breathing heavily, a tired grin on his face.
Deva didn't offer a polite handshake. He raised his gloved fist.
Rohit bumped it hard.
"Platform set, V-C," Rohit panted, wiping sweat from his eyes. "Launch it into orbit."
"Take a seat, Hitman," Deva grinned, his voice icy with intent. "I'll take it from here."
Deva jogged to the crease.
Ball 42.4: Malinga to Deva
Deva took guard, clearing his front leg slightly. Malinga fired a 144 kmph inswinging yorker aimed directly at the toes. Deva, perfectly composed, brought his bat down just in time, digging it out expertly towards square leg and calling for a quick run.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Excellent yorker from Malinga to welcome the new batsman. Deva is up to the task, digs it out for a quick single to get off the mark immediately."(1 RUN)
Score: 237/2.
Ball 42.5: Malinga to Kohli
Virat Kohli, batting on 108, was itching to continue the assault and capitalize on the remaining overs. Malinga, having found his rhythm and a hint of reverse swing, bowled another searing yorker, but this time it tailed in sharply towards the middle and leg stump.
Kohli tried to flick it across the line, attempting a helicopter-style whip to manipulate the field. He misjudged the late, violent swing.
The ball took a massive leading edge, shooting straight up into the night sky like a missile.
Malinga yelled "MINE!", took three steps forward, and safely caught the ball on his own follow-through, letting out a roar of vindication.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"OH, HE'S GONE TOO! Two wickets in the over! Malinga gets the leading edge and takes the catch himself! Virat Kohli's brilliant innings of 108 from 120 balls comes to an end! A double blow for India in the 43rd over! Sri Lanka clawing their way back into this game in a flash!"(WICKET - Kohli 108).
Score: 237/3.
Deva stood at the non-striker's end, leaning on his bat, watching the new man walk out from the pavilion.
MS Dhoni, the Indian Captain, strolled out, twirling his bat with his customary swagger. He didn't look bothered by the sudden fall of wickets. He walked up to Deva, tapping the pitch with his spikes.
"Two new batsmen at the crease," Dhoni noted calmly, adjusting his helmet grill. "43 balls left."
"I'm on 1 off 1, Skipper," Deva replied, a dangerous glint returning to his eye. "We don't need to get our eye in."
Dhoni smiled, a slow, predatory grin. "Go wild."
Ball 42.6: Malinga to Dhoni
Malinga bowled a sharp, well-directed bouncer. Dhoni ducked under it comfortably, letting it sail to the keeper.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"A bouncer to finish a highly successful over from Lasith Malinga! Two massive wickets and just two runs from it. He has momentarily halted the Indian charge. India are 237 for 3."(DOT)
With 42 balls remaining and the score at 237/3, India required an explosive finish to cross the 300-mark, let alone 350. The Sri Lankan fielders, buoyed by the double strike, were buzzing. What they got instead was total, unmitigated annihilation.
Deva tapped his bat twice on the crease, checking the feild.
Ball 43.1: Mathews to Deva
Mathews bowled a slower ball outside off, trying to tempt a false shot. Deva shuffled across his stumps with lightning speed, dropped to one knee, and scooped the ball outrageously over the fine leg boundary. It wasn't just a scoop; it was an insult.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"Oh, stop it! What an unbelievable shot! A reverse scoop over fine leg for a maximum! Deva starts the carnage right away! He reads Mathews like an open book!"(SIX)
Ball 43.4: Mathews to Deva
Mathews panicked and tried the yorker. He missed by an inch. Deva backed away, making room, and slashed it like a tennis forehand over point.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Slashed away! Brute force from Deva, it clears the point boundary with ease! The crowd is going wild! This is violent batting!"(FOUR)
Ball 44.2: Kulasekara to Dhoni
Kulasekara pitched it up, hoping for swing. Dhoni cleared his front leg, stabilized his base, and launched a monumental helicopter shot over deep mid-wicket. The ball soared into the second tier.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"THE HELICOPTER FLIES IN DHAKA! MS Dhoni unleashes his trademark shot, sending the ball soaring into the upper tier! Phenomenal power from the Indian captain!"(SIX)
Ball 44.5: Kulasekara to Dhoni
Short and wide. Dhoni cut it fiercely past backward point, the ball kissing the turf before smashing into the advertising boards.
[Commentary - Bhogle]:"Cut away powerfully! No one is stopping that! Dhoni gets a boundary to keep the pressure firmly on the Lankans!"(FOUR)
Ball 45.1: Malinga to Deva
Malinga steamed in, reverting to his deadly pace. 145 kmph. Deva stepped out, converted the searing yorker into a full toss, and drove it effortlessly over extra cover, posing for the cameras as he did so.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"Inside out over extra cover for six! Off Lasith Malinga! That is just pure, unadulterated genius from Siddanth Deva! He is mocking the best death bowler in the world!"(SIX)
Ball 45.3: Malinga to Deva
Malinga, frustrated, bowled at the toes. Deva flicked his wrists late, whipping the ball past square leg with a crack that sounded like a gunshot.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Whipped away for four! It raced to the fence like a tracer bullet! The Sri Lankan bowlers look absolutely clueless! There is nowhere to hide!"(FOUR)
Ball 46.4: Randiv to Dhoni
Dhoni stepped down the track, meeting the spinner at the pitch, and bludgeoned him straight down the ground.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"Smoked! Straight back past the bowler for a colossal six! Dhoni is taking the spinner apart piece by piece!"(SIX)
Ball 47.2: Kulasekara to Deva
Deva got down on one knee and slog-swept the fast bowler over deep square leg, a shot that defied conventional mechanics.
[Commentary - Bhogle]:"A slog sweep to a fast bowler! He hits it miles into the crowd! Siddanth Deva is playing a video game here! This is absolute mayhem!"(SIX)
Ball 47.5: Kulasekara to Deva
Wide outside off. Deva threw his hands at it, opening the face late to slice it over third man.
[Commentary - Manjrekar]:"Sliced over third man for four! He brings up his fifty in just 18 balls! The fastest fifty of the tournament! What an unbelievable display of hitting!"(FOUR)
Deva raised his bat high to all corners of the Sher-e-Bangla stadium. The crowd, despite being firmly behind Sri Lanka, rose to its feet in collective awe of the sheer brutality and brilliance they were witnessing.
Deva looked towards the Indian dressing room, gave a sharp nod to Rohit and Kohli who were standing and applauding. He wasn't done yet.
Ball 48.1: Malinga to Dhoni
Malinga missed the yorker. Dhoni smashed it back over the bowler's head, the ball nearly taking the umpire's hat off.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"DOWNTOWN FROM DHONI! A flat, hard six straight down the ground! The 300 was crossed long ago, now they are eyeing 350!"(SIX)
Ball 48.4: Malinga to Dhoni
Dhoni muscled a full toss through the covers for a boundary, displaying brute, bottom-handed strength.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Brute strength! Pierces the gap at cover for four! The partnership between these two is destroying Sri Lanka! It is a bloodbath out there!"(FOUR)
Ball 49.5: Mathews to Deva
Mathews bowled a slower bouncer. Deva waited, swiveled gracefully, and pulled it deep into the mid-wicket stands, picking the slower variation to absolute perfection.
[Commentary - Bhogle]:"PULLED AWAY FOR SIX! He picks the slower ball so early! Deva is putting on an absolute exhibition of power hitting in the final over!"(SIX)
Ball 49.6: Mathews to Deva (The Final Ball)
Mathews, desperate, tried to fire in a wide yorker to prevent a boundary. Deva, using Chronos Perception, tracked the ball's path with superhuman clarity. He stepped deep into his crease, opened the face of the blade, and sliced the ball perfectly over the short third-man fielder. The ball raced across the lightning-fast outfield, crashing into the boundary rope as the innings concluded in a crescendo of noise.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"AND HE FINISHES IT WITH A BOUNDARY! Siddanth Deva slices it away for four to end the innings in spectacular fashion! Absolute, unmitigated carnage in the final seven overs! From 237 for 3 in the 43rd over, India finishes at a colossal 352 for 3! Deva and Dhoni have added 115 runs in just 43 deliveries! It's a bloodbath in Mirpur!"(FOUR)
Siddanth Deva took off his helmet, sweat dripping down his face, and bumped gloves with MS Dhoni. They had executed the perfect launchpad set by Rohit and Kohli. Deva walked off the field to a standing ovation, unbeaten on a staggering 66 off just 22 balls, while Dhoni remained not out on 45 off 21 balls. The crowd at Mirpur bowed in reverence to the brutal display they had just witnessed.
The message to the rest of the continent was clear: The Indian batting order was a multi-headed hydra, and the Hitman had just joined the Devil at the top of the food chain.