Date: September 8th, 2012.
Location: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.
Event: 1st T20I, India vs New Zealand.
The lights of Vizag were ready, piercing through the evening haze, and the "Devil" was hungry for a return to the shortest format. After a grueling Test series, Siddanth Deva was looking forward to the 20-over dash. The fans had packed the stadium three hours early, turning the coastal city into a sea of blue jerseys.
But the Bay of Bengal had other plans. A sudden, relentless tropical downpour began just thirty minutes before the toss. It wasn't a drizzle; it was a deluge. The pristine outfield turned into a swamp within an hour, and the ground staff fought a losing battle against the rising water.
Siddanth Deva stood in the dugout, leaning against a pillar, watching the rain bounce off the covers with a rhythmic intensity. Beside him, Virat Kohli was shadow-practicing a flick, his face set in a habitual scowl of frustration.
"It's not stopping, Sid," Virat muttered, glancing at the charcoal-grey sky.
"It's the subcontinent in September, Cheeku," Deva replied.
They waited for three hours. The umpires made three inspections, their trousers tucked into their socks as they stepped gingerly onto the sodden turf. But at 9:00 PM, the official word came. Match Abandoned.
The crowd's groan was a physical weight. Deva spent the evening in the hotel room, playing on his PSP and then texting Krithika, who was mercilessly mocking his "rain-soaked holiday."
Me:Vizag is a swimming pool. Match off.
Headache:Good. You need to rest that ego of yours anyway.
Deva smiled. The team was moving to the fortress of the South, and the stakes for the one remaining game were now absolute.
---
Date: September 11th, 2012.
Location: M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.
Event: 2nd T20I.
The air in Chennai was so thick with humidity you could almost chew it. Chepauk was a sea of blue, but a very specific kind of emotion hung in the air tonight. This wasn't just a T20 decider; it was the homecoming of a warrior.
Yuvraj Singh was back in the playing XI. After his health struggles and the long, agonizing months of recovery, the Prince of Punjab was finally wearing the blue jersey again. When his name was announced over the PA system, the roar was so loud the match referee had to wait nearly a full minute to flip the coin.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Manoj Tiwary, Siddanth Deva (vc), Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Irfan Pathan, R. Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji.
The Toss: Ross Taylor and MS Dhoni stood in the center.
"Heads," Taylor called.
It was Tails.
Dhoni: "We'll bowl first. The dew is always a massive factor here in the second half. The pitch looks a bit dry, so spin might play a part early, but it should get better for batting later. It's an emotional night for us with Yuvi coming back. We want to put up a good show for him."
Taylor: "We would have batted anyway. Get a score on the board and try to defend it. We know India has a lot of firepower, but we have plans."
---
Openers: Rob Nicol and Martin Guptill.
Bowler: Zaheer Khan.
Over 1: Zaheer Khan to Rob Nicol Zaheer started with a classic outswinger. 132 kmph. Nicol defended.
Ball 1.4: Zaheer to Guptill. Short and wide.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"Smashed! Guptill doesn't wait! He carves that over point for the first boundary of the match! The Kiwis are off and running!"(FOUR)
Over 2: Lakshmipathy Balaji to Rob Nicol Balaji, the local favorite, ran in to a thunderous reception from his home crowd.
Ball 1.2: Balaji bowled a slower ball. Nicol misread it completely, checking his shot.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"IN THE AIR... AND TAKEN! Balaji strikes in his first over! Nicol tries to loft him but the lack of pace does him in. Virat Kohli takes a simple catch at mid-off! India draws first blood!"WICKET (Rob Nicol 0). NZ: 10/1.
Brendon McCullum walked out. The most dangerous T20 batsman in the world. He didn't take sighters. He started his "dance" immediately.
Over 4: Irfan Pathan to McCullum McCullum moved across his stumps.
Ball 3.2: Irfan bowled full. McCullum scooped him over the keeper's head.
[Commentary - Ian Smith]:"Unbelievable! The McCullum scoop! He just uses Pathan's pace and flips it into the stands! Six runs!"(SIX)
Over 5: Siddanth Deva to Martin Guptill Dhoni tossed the ball to his Vice-Captain. Deva didn't care about the humidity. He only saw the fourth stump.
Ball 4.1: Deva to Guptill. 148 kmph. Good length. Guptill defended.
Ball 4.5: The Setup. Deva bowled a sharp bouncer at 152 kmph. Guptill ducked.
Ball 4.6: The Execution. Deva bowled a searing yorker.
Guptill tried to jam it out, but his feet were stuck in cement. The ball snuck under the bat.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"BOWLED HIM! CASTLED! Siddanth Deva uproots the off-stump! 152 clicks on the speed gun and Guptill was just too slow to react! The Devil strikes in Chennai!"
WICKET (Martin Guptill 11)
NZ: 38/2.
Powerplay Score: NZ 52/2.
McCullum decided that the Indian spinners needed to be neutralized. He and Ross Taylor began a counter-attack that silenced Chepauk.
Over 9: Yuvraj Singh to McCullum Dhoni handed the ball to Yuvraj. The stadium erupted.
Ball 8.2: McCullum slog-swept Yuvraj into the stands.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"High and handsome! McCullum spoils the homecoming party for a second. That's a massive six!"(SIX)
McCullum reached his 50 off 32 balls with a blistering cut shot off Balaji in the 14th over.
Over 15: Siddanth Deva to Ross TaylorBall
14.3: Deva bowled a slower-ball bouncer. 122 kmph.
Taylor, expecting pace, pulled way too early. The ball took the top edge and looped into the sky.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"In the air... and Dhoni calls for it! The Captain settles under the skier and takes it comfortably! Deva breaks the 90-run stand! Taylor goes for 32!"
WICKET (Ross Taylor 32)
NZ: 128/3
Over 17: Siddanth Deva to Brendon McCullum McCullum was on 91, eyeing a century. He tried to lap Deva.
Ball 16.2: Deva saw the movement using [Chronos Perception]. He adjusted his release and fired a 154 kmph yorker at the leg stump.
McCullum fell over trying to scoop. The ball smashed into the base of the leg pole.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"HE'S GOT HIM! THE BIG FISH! Deva bowls a thunderbolt to remove the dangerous McCullum! What a wicket! He denied him the century! 91 off 55 balls."
WICKET (Brendon McCullum 91)
NZ: 145/4
Over 18: Zaheer Khan to James Franklin
Ball 17.5: Zaheer bowled a wide yorker. Franklin edged.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"Edged and taken! Dhoni takes a low one! Zaheer is amongst the wickets!"
WICKET (James Franklin 10)
NZ: 152/5
Over 19: Siddanth Deva to Jacob Oram
Ball 18.3: Deva to Oram. Short ball. 150 kmph.
Oram pulled it flat towards the mid-wicket boundary.
Yuvraj Singh at deep mid-wicket dived to his left and plucked it out of the air.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"HE'S CAUGHT IT! YUVRAJ SINGH! The world stops! He takes a blinder in the deep! Chepauk is screaming! The Prince is well and truly back!"
WICKET (Jacob Oram 5)
NZ: 158/6
Over 20: Balaji to Kane Williamson Balaji conceded 9 runs.
Final Score: New Zealand 167/6 (20 Overs).Deva Figures: 4-0-28-4.
---
Target: 168.
Required Rate: 8.40.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli walked out to open.
Over 1: Kyle Mills to Rohit SharmaBall 0.3: Rohit leaned into a cover drive.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"Shot! Rohit Sharma caresses it through the covers for four!"(FOUR)
Over 2: James Franklin to Virat KohliBall 1.2: Kohli stepped out and flicked Franklin over mid-wicket.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"Wristy! Classic Kohli! That's four runs!"(FOUR)
Over 4: Kyle Mills to RohitBall 3.4: Rohit pulled a short ball with his signature effortless swivel.
[Commentary - Ian Smith]:"Six! Rohit Sharma is the master of the pull shot! All the way into the crowd!"(SIX)
Over 6: Daniel Vettori to RohitBall 5.4: Rohit tried to loft Vettori over mid-on but mistimed it. Caught at long-on.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"GONE! Vettori gets the breakthrough! Rohit Sharma falls for a brisk 25."WICKET (Rohit Sharma 25). India: 40/1.
Powerplay Score: India 42/1.
Manoj Tiwary walked in at No. 3.
Over 8: Daniel Vettori to Manoj Tiwary
Ball 8.2: Tiwary tried to sweep but was beaten by the slider. LBW.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"Plumb! Vettori has two! Tiwary departs cheaply!"WICKET (Manoj Tiwary 15). India: 55/2.
With the second wicket down, Deva walked out at No. 4. He met Kohli mid-pitch.
"Vettori is turning it sharply, Sid," Kohli warned. "Play with the spin."
Over 9: Daniel Vettori to Deva
Ball 8.5: Deva used his feet, converted it to a full toss, and drove it past mid-off.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"Shot! Deva is off the mark with a boundary! Pure timing!"(FOUR)
Over 12: James Franklin to KohliBall
12.3: Kohli, on 45, tried to clear the ropes but holed out to long-off.
[Commentary - Ian Smith]:"Caught! Kohli perishes! Franklin has taken Kohli off! India are in a spot of bother at 100 for 3."
WICKET (Virat Kohli 45)
India: 100/3
The stadium erupted as Yuvraj Singh walked out. Deva met him halfway.
"Let's finish this, Yuvi paaji," Deva said, bumping gloves.
India: 100/3.Equation: 68 needed off 45 balls.
Over 14: Jacob Oram to YuvrajBall 13.3: Oram bowled a length ball. Yuvraj cleared his front leg and unleashed that iconic flick.
[Commentary - Harsha Bhogle]:"SIX! HE'S BACK! Yuvraj Singh hits his first six since his return! That beautiful, high follow-through! Chennai is losing its mind!"(SIX)
Over 15: Nathan McCullum to DevaBall 14.4: Deva reverse-swept the spinner for four.
[Commentary - Sunil Gavaskar]:"Audacious! The 360-degree game of Deva is on full display!"(FOUR)
Over 17: James Franklin to YuvrajBall 16.6: Yuvraj tried to clear the ropes but was caught at deep square leg.
[Commentary - Ian Smith]:"Taken! Yuvraj falls for a well-made 25. He walks off to a standing ovation from every single person in this stadium."WICKET (Yuvraj Singh 25). India: 140/4.
Raina joined Deva. 28 needed off 18 balls.
Over 18: Jacob Oram to DevaBall 17.2: Oram bowled a wide yorker. Deva reached out and sliced it past point.
[Commentary - Sanjay Manjrekar]:"Four more! Deva is seeing it like a football now! 40 off 26 for the Vice-Captain."(FOUR)
Over 19: Kyle Mills to DevaBall 18.3: Deva on strike. Mills bowled a bouncer. Deva pulled it flat.
[Commentary - Ian Smith]:"SIX! Flat and hard! Deva is in a hurry! Just 4 runs needed now!"(SIX)
Over 20: James Franklin to DevaEquation: 2 runs needed off 6 balls.
Ball 19.1: Franklin bowled a length ball. Deva played a simple, elegant straight drive. The ball raced past the bowler to the fence.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"AND THAT IS IT! Siddanth Deva finishes it in style! India wins by 6 wickets! The Devil has conquered Chennai!"(FOUR)
Final Score: India 170/4 (19.1 Overs).
Post-Match Presentation:
Man of the Match: Siddanth Deva (50* and 4/28).
Ravi Shastri: "Sid, 50 not out and 4 wickets. A perfect day at the office?"
Deva: "It was emotional seeing Yuvi paaji back. We wanted to win this for him. I enjoyed batting at No. 4 today; it gave me the time to build the finish."