The Last Miracle

6 balls 3 runs.

The stage was set. The actors geared up. The audience was palpitating. Inzy, the Pakistani skipper was on strike. Dada had the ball in his hands. Who was to bowl the last over? Who would be the Achiles from the Indian camp? Dada was setting the field. He calls out to somebody at the mid-on boundary. Zaheer? Sehwag? or Karthik? Nobody was surprised when they saw who was running towards the pitch. Sachin Tendulkar himself. Yes. He was the Achiles. Without batting an eyelid he started setting the field. He knew what was expected of him. He had done miracles before. But the audience was losing hope.

He bowls the first ball. Dot.

Second ball. Dot too.

People start getting up from their seats. It’s difficult to sit down.

4 balls 3 runs.

He bowls. Inzy steers it towards point. Comfortable two runs.

3 balls 1 run. Even a kid would do it.

Dejected, people begin to leave.

But Achiles is still standing. Still shouting instructions at the top of his voice.

He bowls. It’s a dot. The audience stops. Turns and gathers again.

2 balls 1 run.

And then it happens. There’s a thunderous applause after the ball is bowled. It’s a dot!

1 Ball 1 run.

It doesn’t get closer than this. They don’t have battles like these anymore. Predictably the Indian camp goes for its trademark huddle. Fielders start closing in. Achiles is leading everybody now towards a probable miracle. There’s a hush in the crowd. Most of them have started praying. Those three minutes seem like three whole ages.

And then…

The warrior moves. Marches forward to bowl, which all hope, would go down in history as the most memorable over ever.

When 1 billion people are praying for the ball to hit the stumps the ball decides to hit the bat and flee away from the fielder. Victory. Viva Pakistan.

A stunned silence envelopes the nation.

The Gods have gone against Achiles. He looks up at the sky. He closes his eyes…and so do 1 billion people who believe in him.


(For the uninitiated Achiles is a character from the movie Troy)