The whole Indian team is watching chakde India on a big screen on the eve of a big knock-out match in world cup to keep themselves relaxed and get some inspiration from the movie. The coach of the Indian cricket team (Gary) moves out for some reason. After sometime a watchman comes and tells Sehwag something in his ears. Sehwag gets up and goes out to the cricket ground. There he sees Sachin standing and waiting.
Sehwag - "Hey Sachin, why did you call me here now?"
Sachin - "Hey, I did not call you, it was you who called me"
Sehwag - "Why would I call you when watching a nice movie with others?"
Gary (comes out of shadows) - "I have called you guys here"
Sachin and Sehwag - "Why?"
Gary (Taking a deep breath) - "Tomorrow we are going to lose the big match"
Sachin and Sehwag (looking at each other in surprise and back to Gary) - "What do you mean? Have you fixed the match?"
Gary - "No, but we would lose the match because of you two"
Sachin and Sehwag(Looking perplexed) - "Why do you think so?"
Gary - "Because you two have been playing so well at the top and giving good starts for the team. With such good starts, our middle order has not even had any decent match practice. Also due to your good starts, the target is so high for oppositions, that our bowlers get relaxed and bowl as if they have already won the match.This has made our bowlers forget how to bowl under pressure. You know when you two go out into middle to bat, our batsmen do not even bother to pad up because they all know that you two do not get out so easily. They do not even turn out for batting practice sessions since they seldom get a chance to bat. The fielders field as if they have all the runs in world to defend and dont care if they just leave aa couple of boundaries. They do not understand the importance of every single run unless the match comes to a very close finish. It would be too late then to realize. One match if you two get out soon, then the rest of the team will not be able to cope up with the pressure. However there is one problem which is critical. Running between wickets from you two."
Sachin and Sehwag - "Yes, Gary. We are working to improve upon that".
Gary - "You guys always start hitting boundaries at will and when it comes to last couple of deliveries in an over, you guys try to retain strike by taking singles. Do you think the opposition captain/coach are fools to not notice this clear strategy from you two? They can keep the field out for first 4 deliveries and then bring the fielder IN with last two deliveries."
Sehwag - "You tell this to Sachin. The crowd always cheer louder when he is on strike even tough I give a bright start with boundaries. Also he is the one who takes quick singles with couple of deliveries left."
Gary(to Sehwag)- "So are you planning to not respond and get him run out instead?. This is exactly what the opposition captain wants too. And you Sachin, you have seen all these in your 20 years of cricketing experience, why do you still go for those quick singles in last two deliveries when you can take some more time and give Sehwag some strike too".
Sachin (looking timid) - "I... I never did it on purpose, it was just pure instinct in me, that urges me to keep the strike and get more and more runs for the country."
Gary(With full feelings and looking sad) - "You guys... you guys do not know how heavy the burden of defeat in world cup big matches are. I have been through this in the 1999 world cup when my mate lance and donald could not get one run which costed us the cup. The burden of that defeat is still lingering in the hearts of millions of people in my country even today. I do not want the same to happen with this team here. So how you want to play, you guys decide. I am going to dhoni to discuss about our other strategies for tomorrow's big match."
**** Gary leaves and joins the other team members who are still watching the movie ****
Sachin and Sehwag look at each other and Sachin speaks out - "I have been playing cricket for more than 20 years now and I am hungry for more runs. Since this would probably be my last world cup, I would still thrive to make runs for myself and my country and do everything right to win the cup for my country. I will also definitely be the top run-getter in this tournament."
Sehwag - "I am the leading run getter in this tournament now. Even I will see to it that I keep my position as top run getter in the tournament. Also what are you trying to prove to me by being top run getter?"
Sachin - "I dont want to prove anything to you, I just want to prove it to the people of my country who again and again point fingers at my calibre to win matches even after giving them so many centuries and so many victories. I want to show them what a single man can do if he is hurt by his own people. I just want to prove it to other people out there..."
Sehwag - "Oye, dont worry, even I will see who will point fingers at you. We will together score as much runs for the team as for the country, let other team members support us or not."
Both of them shake hands and move towards the team members. In the background - title track of Chakde India is going on.....
[Hoping India to win the world cup this time... not just for Sachin, but for his wonderful career which has entertained for more than 20 years now.]
Sehwag - "Hey Sachin, why did you call me here now?"
Sachin - "Hey, I did not call you, it was you who called me"
Sehwag - "Why would I call you when watching a nice movie with others?"
Gary (comes out of shadows) - "I have called you guys here"
Sachin and Sehwag - "Why?"
Gary (Taking a deep breath) - "Tomorrow we are going to lose the big match"
Sachin and Sehwag (looking at each other in surprise and back to Gary) - "What do you mean? Have you fixed the match?"
Gary - "No, but we would lose the match because of you two"
Sachin and Sehwag(Looking perplexed) - "Why do you think so?"
Gary - "Because you two have been playing so well at the top and giving good starts for the team. With such good starts, our middle order has not even had any decent match practice. Also due to your good starts, the target is so high for oppositions, that our bowlers get relaxed and bowl as if they have already won the match.This has made our bowlers forget how to bowl under pressure. You know when you two go out into middle to bat, our batsmen do not even bother to pad up because they all know that you two do not get out so easily. They do not even turn out for batting practice sessions since they seldom get a chance to bat. The fielders field as if they have all the runs in world to defend and dont care if they just leave aa couple of boundaries. They do not understand the importance of every single run unless the match comes to a very close finish. It would be too late then to realize. One match if you two get out soon, then the rest of the team will not be able to cope up with the pressure. However there is one problem which is critical. Running between wickets from you two."
Sachin and Sehwag - "Yes, Gary. We are working to improve upon that".
Gary - "You guys always start hitting boundaries at will and when it comes to last couple of deliveries in an over, you guys try to retain strike by taking singles. Do you think the opposition captain/coach are fools to not notice this clear strategy from you two? They can keep the field out for first 4 deliveries and then bring the fielder IN with last two deliveries."
Sehwag - "You tell this to Sachin. The crowd always cheer louder when he is on strike even tough I give a bright start with boundaries. Also he is the one who takes quick singles with couple of deliveries left."
Gary(to Sehwag)- "So are you planning to not respond and get him run out instead?. This is exactly what the opposition captain wants too. And you Sachin, you have seen all these in your 20 years of cricketing experience, why do you still go for those quick singles in last two deliveries when you can take some more time and give Sehwag some strike too".
Sachin (looking timid) - "I... I never did it on purpose, it was just pure instinct in me, that urges me to keep the strike and get more and more runs for the country."
Gary(With full feelings and looking sad) - "You guys... you guys do not know how heavy the burden of defeat in world cup big matches are. I have been through this in the 1999 world cup when my mate lance and donald could not get one run which costed us the cup. The burden of that defeat is still lingering in the hearts of millions of people in my country even today. I do not want the same to happen with this team here. So how you want to play, you guys decide. I am going to dhoni to discuss about our other strategies for tomorrow's big match."
**** Gary leaves and joins the other team members who are still watching the movie ****
Sachin and Sehwag look at each other and Sachin speaks out - "I have been playing cricket for more than 20 years now and I am hungry for more runs. Since this would probably be my last world cup, I would still thrive to make runs for myself and my country and do everything right to win the cup for my country. I will also definitely be the top run-getter in this tournament."
Sehwag - "I am the leading run getter in this tournament now. Even I will see to it that I keep my position as top run getter in the tournament. Also what are you trying to prove to me by being top run getter?"
Sachin - "I dont want to prove anything to you, I just want to prove it to the people of my country who again and again point fingers at my calibre to win matches even after giving them so many centuries and so many victories. I want to show them what a single man can do if he is hurt by his own people. I just want to prove it to other people out there..."
Sehwag - "Oye, dont worry, even I will see who will point fingers at you. We will together score as much runs for the team as for the country, let other team members support us or not."
Both of them shake hands and move towards the team members. In the background - title track of Chakde India is going on.....
[Hoping India to win the world cup this time... not just for Sachin, but for his wonderful career which has entertained for more than 20 years now.]
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