Prince gathered the boys into a huddle before addressing them as a whole.
"Okay, we've been hammered. 201 is a fucking crazy score and we're not going to reach it by being careless, we stay compact and we stay within our capabilities, cautious and measured, we get those ten runs per over we need when we can, understood?"
The boys all nodded and shook hands before Prince spoke again.
"Aru, Gill, get padded, let's take the fight to them!"
The two batsmen padded up and got out onto the pitch slowly, warming up as Prince and the team watched from the ropes. The senior team strolled on and what a sight it was, the pacers, Bumrah, Shami and the spinners, Harbhajan Singh, Jadeja and Ashwin. The top order too shone, and as Dhoni crouched behind him, Gill audibly gulped, earning a smirk from Virat Kohli.
Jasprit Bumrah collected the ball and rolled it in his hands, gripping it tightly. Prince watched and analysed as he marked his run up, asking in his mind to the system as Bumrah ran forward, "What's his first ball?"
And it was. The ball swung in towards the good length area, nearly then cascading into Gill's pads, but he flicked it off the pads and ran, gaining a single, making the scoreboard tick from ball one.
Ball 0.2: Bumrah ran forwards again and bowled a stunning full toss, this time at Aru's stumps, for once the aggressive opener levelled his head and stroked the ball to mid on, taking another single.
Both batsmen exchanged runs, and by the end of the over, the scoreboard had reached 6 for 0 wickets given. Prince stood and signed towards Gill and Aru, counting on his fingers to six (sixth ball) and a straight arm swinging forwards. Prince was telling them to exchange strike and smash one long on the last ball of each over.
1.1: Shami ran forwards aggressively, a straight ball aimed at Gill's pads, but he calmly stroked the ball between the gap to deep square leg, running 2 runs before the ball returned.
This tactic worked fine until the fifth over, both batsmen played well and had picked up some runs,
Gill: 24 of 14 ------ Aru: 12 of 10 _______________ 36/0 4.0 Overs
On the first ball of the fifth over, Bumrah came for Aru's wicket, and the smash of the wicket was explosive, the bales flew, and Aru walked head bowed back to the ropes where he met with a padded Prince, "Sorry, skipper."
Prince took a look at Aru before smiling, "Since when have you called me skipper, idiot, unlucky wicket, keep your head up, yeah?"
Prince walked out after patting Aru's shoulder, swinging his batting arm, a serious look now overshadowing the previous joking; his whole demeanour had changed, he had duties to fulfil.
Prince felt his rising temper and allowed the effects of the mental stabiliser and the attribute of Kohli's temperament control to take hold, breathing out through his nose as a sense of calm flooded his veins. Gill met him halfway, and they walked to the crease together.
"Bhai, pitch looks difficult, how the hell did they hit 201 here?"
Prince chuckled once before giving himself a depreciating stare, "Because we were shit, but we won't go out without a fight."
Gill nodded and headed to the non-strikers' end, and Prince took his spot at the strikers' end, scraping his leg across the creases and tapping his bat, stretching lightly. Kohli called from silly mid on, "All limbered up, starboy." I flashed him a short smile, not overconfident, not scared, not responding and from behind him came a voice, "Smart kid."
Bumrah steamrolled in to bowl the second ball of the fifth over, and Prince watched as he reached the arc of his run-up and the ball left his hand. Full toss, step back. Prince stepped back and brought his bat down, then up, scooping the ball over Kohli at silly, who tried to jump, but the ball rolled beyond him to Ashwin. Prince had managed to run two.
He nodded at Gill, who understood, stay, keep the wicket, let me do the talking.
5.3: The ball came in shorter, possibly a bouncer. Prince pulled his bat back above his head with a flick and then pulled it into the ball, smashing it over deep midwicket for an astounding six, the pull shot, one of Rohit's classics, and sure enough, the hitman had his hand on his head in awe.
5 Overs Later...
Prince had been punished, and Gill had stayed; the run rate was being met, every over.
Prince: 58 of 17 _________ Gill: 62 of 32 156/1 10 Overs. Just 45 runs of 60 balls.
It had been a big-hitting partnership of 96 runs in just 45 balls until the tenth over.
Gill had brought up his bat too quickly. Ashwin's flipper sailed under his bat and clattered into his stumps. The seniors high-fived each other, and Prince tapped his bat with Gills as he walked off, and Abhishek walked in, swinging his bat. It went downhill from there.
Prince watched as Abhishek took a strike and Aswhin strolled in, another flipper, edged, and landed in Dhoni's hands, two wickets in a row. And Prithvi walked in, Prince strolled out to him instantly, "Arey Bhai, please don't lose your cool."
Prithvi went out on a duck. Hat trick for Ashwin. They were laughing now. Prince sighed, the temperament control working overtime to calm himself down as Tilak Verma walked on.
The partnership was worth two overs and ten runs before it was ended with Tilak's loft attempt being buried in Kohli's welcoming hands.
Prince waited for Pant, and this time he met the batsmen halfway, "Rishabh!"
The round batsmen nodded, "Han Skipper."
"Lose your wicket, and I'll cut your hair off."
The fourteenth over began...
14.1: Shami came in with another trademark straight ball. Prince played it for a single.
14.2: Pant is on strike, and he slots it between the gap to run for two, smart batting, taking runs where they come, no unnecessary risk taken.
37 runs needed off 34 deliveries