The high altitude air of Centurion was thin, crisp, and electric. It was the final league match of the 2009 IPL. The Royal Challengers Bangalore versus the Deccan Chargers.
Both teams had qualified for the playoffs, but this wasn't a dead rubber. This was a statement game. It was the heavyweights clashing before the knockouts.
Anil Kumble, the RCB captain, won the toss.
"We'll bat first," Kumble said, his eyes steel. "It's a belter. We want to put runs on the board and test their chase."
In the Deccan huddle, Adam Gilchrist tossed the new ball to Siddanth.
"You heard the man," Gilchrist grinned. "They want to test us. Let's show them what a real test looks like. Pace on, Sid. Fast and straight."
The First Innings
"Welcome to SuperSport Park!" Ravi Shastri's voice boomed across the global broadcast. "The atmosphere is absolutely buzzing. The Challengers are batting first on a pitch that looks full of runs. Jacques Kallis and the young Manish Pandey are walking out. But facing them is the man who has set this tournament on fire – Siddanth Deva."
Siddanth stood at the top of his mark. The cool air was perfect for pace.
Over 1:
Siddanth to Jacques Kallis. The South African legend.
Siddanth didn't warm up.
Ball 1: 149kph. A searing outswinger. Kallis left it alone, eyebrows raised.
Ball 2: 151kph. Kallis defended solidly.
It was a battle of attrition. Kallis was the rock; Pandey was the aggressor.
Manish Pandey, just 19, was in a mood. He took on RP Singh from the other end, smashing two boundaries. He looked fearless.
Over 5:
Kallis was on 23. He was looking to accelerate.
Siddanth came back for his second over.
Ball 1: Siddanth ran in. He saw Kallis shuffle, looking to work it to the leg side.
Siddanth bowled the "Heavy Ball". Back of a length, 146kph, nipping back in off the seam.
Kallis was cramped. He tried to adjust, to guide it down to third man.
The ball was too quick. It kissed the outside edge.
Adam Gilchrist flew to his right, taking a sharp, low catch.
WICKET 1: Jacques Kallis c. Gilchrist b. Deva 23.
"And Deva strikes!" Sunil Gavaskar shouted. "The big fish is gone! Kallis looked set, but that extra bounce and pace did him in. Siddanth Deva continues his dream run!"
With Kallis gone, Roelof van der Merwe walked in. He was a pinch-hitter, designed to disrupt.
But the story was at the other end.
Manish Pandey was playing the innings of a lifetime.
He took on the spinners. He swept Ojha. He drove Symonds.
He was fearless.
Siddanth watched from mid-off. He's in the zone, his mind noted. He's not playing the bowler; he's playing the ball.
Van der Merwe chipped in with a quick 25 off 15 balls, hitting two sixes.
Gilchrist brought Siddanth back in the 12th over to break the stand.
Over 12:
Siddanth to Van der Merwe.
The Dutchman backed away, trying to slog over Cow Corner.
Siddanth saw the movement. He bowled the 152kph Yorker.
Van der Merwe's bat came down too late.
The off-stump cartwheeled out of the ground.
WICKET 2: R. van der Merwe b. Deva 25.
"Cleaned him up!" Danny Morrison yelled. "You miss, I hit! That is pure pace! The furniture is disturbed!"
But Pandey kept going. Rahul Dravid came in, played a classy 12, and rotated the strike.
Then Virat Kohli walked in.
Kohli and Pandey accelerated.
Pandey reached his 90. Then 95.
In the 19th over, Pandey clipped a ball to fine leg.
CENTURY.
By the end of the first innings, Manish Pandey was 114 Not Out.
The first Indian to score a century in the IPL.
"History at Centurion!" Harsha Bhogle cried, his voice thick with emotion. "Manish Pandey! Remember the name! The first Indian to reach three figures in the Indian Premier League! What a knock! What a stage!"
Kohli added a spicy 29 off 15 balls at the death, ensuring the momentum never dropped.
Royal Challengers Bangalore finished on 211 for 4.
It was a mammoth score. The highest of the season against Deccan.
Siddanth finished with 4 overs, 35 runs, 2 wickets. Expensive, but he had taken the crucial breakthroughs.
The Second Innings
212 to win.
The dressing room was quiet. 212 was a mountain.
"It's a good wicket," Gilchrist said, strapping on his pads. "We just need to keep the rate in check. Don't panic."
Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs walked out.
They started well. Gibbs cut Steyn for four. Gilchrist pulled Praveen Kumar for six.
They reached 40 in 4 overs.
But in the 5th over, Gibbs tried to loft Anil Kumble over long-off. He didn't get to the pitch. Caught.
Herschelle Gibbs: Out for 24.
DC: 45 for 1 (4.2 Overs).
"And here comes the man," Shastri announced. "Siddanth Deva at number three. Chasing 212. He needs to play the innings of his life here."
Siddanth walked out. The scoreboard pressure was immense. Required rate: 10.8.
He met Gilchrist in the middle.
"Gilly," Siddanth said. "You're hitting it well. I'll hold one end. You go for it."
Gilchrist nodded. "Right. Let's keep the wickets in hand."
Siddanth settled in. He didn't try to match Pandey's heroics immediately. He played the Anchor.
Ball 1: Steyn bowled a length ball. Siddanth dropped it with soft hands to point. Quick single.
Ball 2: Kallis to Gilchrist. Gilly smashed it over mid-wicket. Six.
Siddanth was the perfect foil. He rotated the strike effortlessly.
1 run. 1 run. 2 runs.
He let Gilchrist dominate.
Gilchrist raced to 38 off 22 balls. He looked dangerous.
But in the 9th over, facing Van der Merwe, Gilchrist tried a slog sweep. Top edge.
Caught at deep square leg.
DC: 85 for 2 (8.4 Overs).
Required Rate: 11.5.
The Partnership: Deva and Sharma
Rohit Sharma walked out.
The two "Blue Colts" were together again.
"127 needed off 68 balls," Rohit said, chewing his gum. "Easy."
Siddanth smiled. "Just stay with me, Ro. We take it deep. 14th over. That's when we go."
For the next five overs, they played smart, high-percentage cricket.
Siddanth was the engine.
He faced Kumble. He gets down the pitch and pushes for ones and twos.
He faced Virat Kohli (bowling his medium pace).
Kohli tried to bounce him.
Siddanth rolled his wrists and pulled it along the ground for four.
"Controlled aggression!" Gavaskar noted. "He isn't slogging. He is placing it. He is keeping the scoreboard ticking without taking risks. This is high-IQ batting."
Rohit played some gorgeous drives. He scored a fluid 32.
But the required rate was climbing. It touched 13. Then 14.
By the end of the 13th over, DC was 125 for 2.
87 runs needed off 42 balls.
Siddanth was on 45 off 30 balls.
He looked at Rohit. "It's time."
Rohit nodded. "Let's go."
The Explosion: Over 14 to 20
Over 14: Roelof van der Merwe
Siddanth was on strike.
Ball 1: Siddanth stepped out. He hit it inside-out over extra cover.
SIX.
Ball 2: He swept it hard behind square.
FOUR.
Ball 3: He reverse-swept it over point.
SIX.
16 runs off the first three balls. The momentum shifted violently.
Over 15: Jacques Kallis
Rohit tried to join the party. He hit a four, then tried to clear long-off. Caught.
Rohit Sharma: Out for 32.
DC: 145 for 3.
67 runs needed off 30 balls.
Dwayne Smith walked in.
Siddanth met him. "Just give me the strike, Dwayne. I'm seeing it like a football."
Over 16: Praveen Kumar
Siddanth was on 63.
Ball 1: Slower ball. Siddanth waited. He swatted it down the ground. FOUR.
Ball 2: Yorker. Siddanth shuffled and scooped it over fine leg. SIX.
Ball 3: Wide yorker. Siddanth sliced it over point. FOUR.
"He has flicked the switch!" Morrison screamed. "Deva has gone nuclear! He was playing Test cricket ten minutes ago, and now he is destroying the attack! This is not Deva this is Devil Incarnate!"
Over 17: Dale Steyn
The best bowler in the world.
Siddanth was on 77.
Ball 1: Steyn bowled 148kph. Full.
Siddanth cleared his front leg. He hit through the line.
The ball sailed over long-off.
SIX.
Ball 2: Steyn went short.
Siddanth hooked. It was flat, hard, and fast.
SIX.
Ball 3: Steyn bowled a perfect yorker. Siddanth dug it out. Single.
Smith managed a single.
Siddanth back on strike.
Ball 5: Steyn missed his length. Half-volley.
Siddanth drove. FOUR.
21 runs off Steyn. The game had turned on its head.
Over 18: Anil Kumble
Siddanth was on 94.
26 runs needed off 18 balls.
Kumble, the veteran, tried to tie him down.
Ball 1: Leg break. Siddanth pushed for two. 96.
Ball 2: Googly. Siddanth picked it. He cut it late. FOUR.
CENTURY.
100 off 48 balls.
His first of the tournament. In a chase of 212.
The stadium was shaking.
Siddanth didn't celebrate. He just punched gloves with Smith.
Not done yet.
Over 19: Vinay Kumar
18 runs needed off 12 balls.
Smith took a single.
Siddanth on strike.
Ball 2: Full toss. Siddanth smashed it over mid-wicket. SIX.
Ball 3: Length ball. Siddanth lofted it over cover. FOUR.
Ball 4: Single.
Equation: 6 runs needed off 6 balls.
The final over.
Bowler: Praveen Kumar.
Over 20
Siddanth was on 111. He was tired, but the S-Rank Stamina held him together.
Ball 1: Smith on strike. He swung and missed. Dot.
Pressure.
Ball 2: Smith hit it to long-on. They ran hard. Two runs.
Ball 3: Smith tapped and ran. Single.
3 runs needed off 3 balls.
Siddanth on strike.
Praveen Kumar ran in. He bowled a wide yorker.
Siddanth didn't try to hit a six. He didn't need to.
He opened the face of the bat.
He guided the ball into the gap between the backward point and the short third man.
The outfield was fast.
The ball raced away.
The fielder dived in vain.
FOUR.
Deccan Chargers Won by 6 wickets. (With 2 balls to spare).
Siddanth Deva: 115 (52 balls).*
Dwayne Smith: 9 (6 balls).*
The Aftermath
Siddanth dropped his bat and raised his arms. He let out a roar that was lost in the deafening noise of the stadium.
Dwayne Smith picked him up in a bear hug.
The dugout stormed the field. Gilchrist was the first there, screaming, "YOU LEGEND! YOU BLOODY LEGEND!"
Siddanth was buried under a pile of blue jerseys. He had done it. He had anchored, he had waited, and then he had exploded. He had chased down 212 almost single-handedly.
The Presentation
Ravi Shastri was practically vibrating with excitement.
Shastri: "What a game of cricket! 424 runs scored! And the man who made the difference... the genius... Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth walked up. He looked exhausted but elated.
Shastri: "Siddanth, 115 not out. Chasing 212. You came in at 45 for 1. You held the innings together when Gilly got out, and then you went berserk. Talk us through that transition."
Siddanth took the mic. "We knew the target was big. When Gilly got out, I knew I couldn't panic. Rohit and I decided to keep wickets in hand until the 14th over. We knew if we had wickets, we could chase 15 an over at this ground. The altitude helps the ball travel."
Shastri: "You took on Steyn. You took on Kumble. That scoop shot... that reverse sweep... is there any area you can't hit?"
Siddanth smiled. "I just try to play the field, Ravi-bhai. If they put a fielder there, I try to hit it somewhere else. It's a simple game if you keep your head clear."
Shastri: "You also took 2 big wickets—Kallis and Van der Merwe. You are the complete package. The Orange Cap is yours. 2nd position for The Purple Cap. Are you even human?"
"Just a guy who loves cricket," Siddanth grinned.
Shastri: "Well, you're a guy who just won his team the match of the season. Well played."
As Siddanth walked back, clutching the Man of the Match trophy, he saw Manish Pandey.
The young RCB opener, who had scored a brilliant 114, looked heartbroken.
Siddanth walked over to him.
"Great knock, Manish," Siddanth said, shaking his hand. "First Indian centurion. That's history. Nobody can take that away from you."
Pandey looked up, a sad smile appearing. "Thanks, Sid. But you... you stole the show, man. 115 not out in a chase? That's next level."
Siddanth patted his back. "See you in the playoffs?"
"See you in the playoffs."
Siddanth walked towards the tunnel. He looked at the scoreboard one last time.
DC: 213/4.
He had orchestrated the highest successful run chase in IPL history (at that time).
He checked the System.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "The Chase Master"]
[REWARD: "Finisher's Calm" (Passive - Heart rate and focus remain absolute in final overs)]
He smiled.
The league stage was over.
They were heading to the Semi-Finals as the most dangerous team in the world.
And Siddanth Deva was the reason why.