The post-match presentation concluded on the field. Siddanth walked back into the dressing room. He unzipped his kitbag and placed his kit inside. He grabbed a fresh towel and walked into the shower area.
Ten minutes later, he stepped out wearing a clean blue Indian team tracksuit. The sweat and the grass stains from the match were gone.
He walked out into the corridor. MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma were waiting near the elevator. Both of them had also changed into fresh travel gear.
"Ready to face the families?" Dhoni asked, pressing the elevator button.
"They are probably still celebrating the win," Rohit said, holding a small bag. "Ritika sent me three messages already."
They took the elevator up to the VIP hospitality level. The hallway was quiet, guarded by tournament security. They walked to the large glass door of the main corporate box and pushed it open.
The box was full of life.
Siddanth looked around. The tension of the cricket match was absent. In the corner of the room, little Ziva was running around the carpet, chasing a small plastic ball.
Sitting on the comfortable leather sofas were Krithika, Anjali, Sakshi Dhoni, and Ritika Sajdeh. They were talking loudly and laughing. Krithika had a cup of coffee in her hand. Anjali was showing Sakshi something on her phone.
Dhoni walked in first. Ziva immediately abandoned her plastic ball, ran across the room, and grabbed his leg. Dhoni smiled, bent down, and picked his daughter up, holding her securely in his arms.
"The boys are here," Sakshi said, looking up from the sofa.
Krithika turned her head. She saw Siddanth standing near the door. She stood up and walked over to him.
"Congratulations," Krithika said, grinning. "That was a very fast finish. The crowd was going crazy for you."
"Thank you," Siddanth said. He looked over her shoulder at the group on the sofas. "Did you all enjoy the game?"
Ritika walked over and stood next to Rohit. "It was brilliant. The bowling was too good today."
Sakshi walked over with Anjali. "It is always good to start a tournament with a big win against Pakistan. It takes the pressure off."
"It does," Dhoni agreed, bouncing Ziva lightly. "Now we just need to maintain the routine."
They stood near the buffet table, talking for a while. The conversation naturally shifted away from cricket.
"We made plans for tomorrow," Krithika told Siddanth, holding her coffee cup.
"What plans?" Siddanth asked.
"Sakshi didi and Ritika are taking us sightseeing," Krithika explained. "Since you all have a training session and team meetings tomorrow morning, we are going into central London. Anjali wants to see the London Eye and Big Ben."
"We are going to walk around Westminster," Sakshi added. "And then maybe go shopping near Oxford Street in the afternoon."
Siddanth nodded. It was a good plan. The players were heavily restricted by security protocols during major tournaments, but the families had more freedom to explore the city.
"That sounds good," Siddanth said to Krithika. "Take a security with you just in case the area."
"Okay," Krithika said.
A team manager walked into the VIP box. He held a clipboard.
"Excuse me, Captain," the manager said to Siddanth. "The team bus is loaded. The players are waiting downstairs."
"We are coming," Siddanth told him.
Siddanth looked at Krithika. "I have to go back to the hotel with the team. Enjoy the sightseeing tomorrow. Call me when you finish."
"I will," Krithika said. "Get some rest tonight."
Siddanth said goodbye to the families. He walked out of the VIP box with Dhoni and Rohit. They took the elevator down to the basement parking and boarded the team bus. The bus drove through the streets of Birmingham, heading back to their hotel.
For the next two days, the routine was strict. The Indian team traveled from Birmingham to London. They checked into their new hotel. Siddanth spent his mornings in the practice nets, working with the fast bowlers and facing spin bowling to prepare for the next match.
Krithika and Anjali spent their time exploring London with the other wives. They took pictures near the Thames River, walked through the large parks, and bought souvenirs.
The day of the second group stage match arrived.
June 8, 2017.
The Indian team bus arrived at The Oval in London. The weather was very typical for England. The sky was covered in thick, grey clouds. There was no sunshine. The air was cool and heavy with moisture.
The stadium was packed with fans. Both Indian and Sri Lankan supporters blew horns and waved flags.
Siddanth walked out to the center of the pitch for the toss. Angelo Mathews, the captain of Sri Lanka, stood waiting in his blue and yellow jersey.
Up in the broadcast box, the commentary team was ready.
"Welcome to The Oval," Harsha Bhogle announced over the television feed. "India taking on Sri Lanka today in a very important Group B clash. If India wins today, they qualify for the semi-finals. But Sri Lanka needs a win to stay alive in the tournament."
"The conditions are very overcast, Harsha," former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara noted. "The ball will swing around today. Winning the toss will be crucial."
Down on the pitch, Ravi Shastri held the microphone.
"Siddanth has the coin," Ravi said. "Angelo, you call."
Siddanth flipped the coin.
"Tails," Mathews called.
The coin landed. It was tails.
"Sri Lanka wins the toss," Ravi announced. "Angelo, what are you doing?"
"We will bowl first, Ravi," Angelo Mathews said confidently. "The overhead conditions are very dark. We want to exploit the swing early on. We are playing an extra fast bowler today to make use of this pitch."
"Siddanth, you have to bat first," Ravi said, turning to the Indian captain.
"We are fine with batting first," Siddanth replied calmly. "The pitch looks good underneath the cloud cover. If we see off the new ball, we can post a very strong total. We are playing the same eleven today."
The captains shook hands.
The Indian opening batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, walked out to the middle. Lasith Malinga took the new white ball for Sri Lanka.
The match began.
The first ten overs were a very careful battle. Malinga and Suranga Lakmal bowled full, swinging deliveries. Rohit and Dhawan did not take risks. They left the balls outside the off-stump. They defended solidly. They only scored 45 runs in the first ten overs, but they did not lose a wicket.
Once the initial swing stopped, the Indian openers started attacking. Dhawan played his natural game, hitting boundaries through the cover region. Rohit pulled the short balls to the leg side.
They built a very strong partnership of 138 runs.
In the 25th over, Rohit Sharma tried to hit a bouncer from Lasith Malinga. He got a top edge, and the ball went to fine leg. He was caught out for 78 runs.
Virat Kohli walked out to bat at number three. The crowd cheered loudly for him.
Nuwan Pradeep was bowling. He bowled a fast, lifting delivery just outside the off-stump. Kohli tried to guide it to third man. The ball took a thick outside edge. The wicketkeeper dove and caught it.
"Caught behind!" Sourav Ganguly shouted on the broadcast. "Virat Kohli is gone for a duck! What a massive wicket for Sri Lanka. Nuwan Pradeep strikes."
India was suddenly 138 for 2. Two quick wickets had fallen.
Siddanth Deva picked up his bat and walked down the pavilion steps.
"And here comes the captain," Harsha Bhogle said. "Siddanth Deva walks to the middle. India needs a partnership right now to steady the ship."
"He is a very smart player," Kumar Sangakkara observed. "He knows when to attack and when to defend. He will take his time to assess the pitch."
Siddanth took his guard. He tapped the pitch with his bat.
Pradeep bowled a length ball on the middle stump. Siddanth defended it straight down the pitch.
Pradeep bowled slightly wider. Siddanth pushed it to point for a single to get off the mark.
Siddanth did not rush. He batted with Dhawan to rebuild the innings. He pushed the ball into the gaps for singles. He allowed Dhawan to play the aggressive shots.
Dhawan reached a brilliant century. He raised his bat to the crowd.
Siddanth reached his 50 from 45 balls. He simply raised his bat to the dressing room and the crowd.
In the 40th over, Dhawan was caught in the deep trying to hit a six. He was out for 125 runs.
India was 260 for 3. There were ten overs left.
Siddanth decided it was time to accelerate the score. MS Dhoni walked out to join him.
Siddanth shifted his stance. He targeted the Sri Lankan fast bowlers.
41.2 Lasith Malinga bowled a slow yorker. Siddanth picked it early. He stepped forward and drove it firmly past the extra cover fielder for a boundary.
42.4 Suranga Lakmal bowled a bouncer. Siddanth pulled it hard over the deep square leg boundary for a six.
Siddanth scored runs quickly. He found the boundaries regularly, pushing the Indian total closer to 300. He moved into the eighties.
In the 48th over, Asela Gunaratne was bowling.
Siddanth was on strike, batting on 87 from 64 balls.
47.1 Gunaratne bowled a slow, wide delivery outside the off-stump.
Siddanth stepped across his stumps. He wanted to hit the ball over the mid-wicket boundary to finish the over strong. He swung his bat hard.
He hit the ball high into the air, but he did not get enough distance.
Thisara Perera, standing at the deep mid-wicket boundary, ran forward. He kept his eyes on the falling ball and caught it safely near his chest.
"Caught in the deep!" Nasser Hussain announced on the commentary. "Siddanth Deva tries to clear the ropes but finds the fielder. He played a very important innings, scoring 87 from just 64 balls. He provided the acceleration India needed."
Siddanth walked off the field. The crowd gave him a standing ovation for his solid knock.
MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh batted the final two overs. They hit a few boundaries to finish the innings.
India finished their 50 overs with a total of 321 for 6.
The players went into the dressing room for the innings break.
"We have a good total," Siddanth told his bowlers in the dressing room. "But this pitch is flat now. The sun is out. The ball will not swing much. We have to bowl tight lines. Do not give them any wide deliveries."
The Indian team walked out to field.
Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella opened the batting for Sri Lanka.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami opened the bowling for India. They bowled well, but the pitch offered no help. The Sri Lankan openers played aggressively. They hit boundaries through the off-side.
In the 5th over, Bhuvi bowled a slower ball. Dickwella tried to flick it and was caught at short square leg by Jadeja.
Sri Lanka was 11 for 1.
Kusal Mendis walked out to bat at number three.
What followed was a brilliant, fighting display of batting by Sri Lanka. Gunathilaka and Mendis built a massive partnership. They did not take foolish risks, but they rotated the strike perfectly. They punished the bad balls.
The Indian spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, tried to take wickets in the middle overs. But the Sri Lankan batsmen used their feet well. They swept the spinners safely.
By the 28th over, Sri Lanka reached 170 for 1. The partnership was 159 runs.
The Indian fans in the stands looked very worried. The Sri Lankan fans were cheering loudly, sensing a victory.
Siddanth stood at mid-off. He knew the game was slipping away. The spinners were not working on this flat pitch.
He took his cap off and handed it to the umpire.
"Siddanth Deva is bringing himself into the attack," Harsha Bhogle noted. "India desperately needs a wicket here. This partnership is taking the game away from them."
Siddanth marked his run-up. He set the field. He pushed deep square leg back to the boundary. He kept a man at deep mid-wicket.
28.1 Siddanth ran in and bowled a fast length ball to Gunathilaka. Gunathilaka defended it. No run.
28.2 Siddanth bowled slightly wider. Gunathilaka pushed it to point for a single.
28.3 Kusal Mendis was on strike. He was batting on 89 runs.
Siddanth ran in fast. He put all his energy into his shoulders. He bowled a very fast, sharp bouncer aimed directly at the chest.
Mendis was surprised by the sudden increase in pace. He tried to play a pull shot. The ball hit the top edge of his bat.
The ball flew high into the air toward the deep square leg boundary.
Ravindra Jadeja ran forward, dove forward, and caught the ball just inches above the grass.
"Caught! Brilliant catch by Jadeja!" Sourav Ganguly shouted on the broadcast. "Siddanth Deva provides the breakthrough! He bowled a fast bouncer and hurried the batsman. Kusal Mendis is gone. That is exactly what the captain needed to do."
Kusal Mendis walked off for 89 runs. The massive partnership was broken.
Sri Lanka was 171 for 2.
Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lankan captain, walked out to bat. He was a very experienced player. He knew how to finish games.
Mathews and Gunathilaka batted carefully for the next few overs. They rebuilt the innings. Gunathilaka reached his 70s, but he eventually tried to hit a slower ball from Hardik Pandya and was caught in the deep.
Sri Lanka was 205 for 3.
Asela Gunaratne joined Mathews. They continued the chase. The required run rate was hovering around 7 runs per over.
The match got closer and closer. The tension in The Oval was very high. The crowd was biting their nails.
By the 45th over, Sri Lanka needed 45 runs from 30 balls. Mathews was batting brilliantly. He hit Shami for two boundaries.
Siddanth took the ball for the 46th over. It was a crucial over.
45.1 Siddanth bowled a fast yorker to Gunaratne. Gunaratne dug it out for a single.
45.2 Mathews was on strike. He was batting on 52 runs.
Siddanth ran in. He did not bowl fast. He rolled his fingers over the seam. He bowled a very slow off-cutter outside the off-stump.
Mathews had already committed to a big drive. He swung his bat early. The slow ball spun slightly away from him. It caught the very thin outside edge of his bat.
MS Dhoni dove to his right and caught the ball cleanly in his gloves.
The Indian players went up in a loud appeal. The umpire raised his finger.
"Edged and taken!" Nasser Hussain roared on the commentary. "Siddanth Deva strikes again! He deceives Angelo Mathews with a brilliant off-cutter. The Sri Lankan captain has to go. This match is turning again!"
Angelo Mathews walked off the field.
Sri Lanka was 278 for 4. They needed 44 runs from 28 balls with new batsmen at the crease.
The pressure was now entirely on Sri Lanka. Siddanth brought Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami back into the attack to bowl the final overs.
Bhuvi and Shami bowled yorkers. They did not give the new batsmen any room to swing their bats. They bowled dot balls and gave away only singles.
In the 48th over, Shami bowled Asela Gunaratne with a fast delivery aimed at the stumps.
The required run rate climbed too high. Sri Lanka needed 25 runs from the final two overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled the 49th over. He gave away only 7 runs, mixing slow bouncers with wide yorkers.
Sri Lanka needed 18 runs from the final over.
Shami bowled the 50th over. He bowled six consecutive yorkers. The Sri Lankan batsmen could only manage to hit the ball to long-on and long-off for singles. They could not hit a single boundary.
The final ball was bowled. The batsman pushed it for a single.
The match was over.
"India wins a thriller at The Oval!" Harsha Bhogle announced loudly. "They win by 10 runs! What an incredible fightback by the Indian bowlers in the last ten overs. Sri Lanka played brilliantly, but India held their nerve when it mattered the most."
The Indian players hugged each other on the field. Siddanth patted Shami and Bhuvi on their backs for bowling the death overs perfectly.
Siddanth walked over and shook hands with the Sri Lankan players. It was one of the best matches of the tournament so far.
The television broadcast showed the final statistics.
"India qualifies for the semi-finals," Kumar Sangakkara said in the studio. "Sri Lanka batted very well, but losing those wickets at crucial times cost them the match. Siddanth Deva taking the wickets of Mendis and Mathews completely changed the momentum."
The post-match presentation was set up on the field.
Shikhar Dhawan was given the Man of the Match award for his 125 runs.
Siddanth stood with his team, tired but very satisfied. They had fought hard and won a difficult game.
---
Siddanth Deva Match Statistics:
Batting: 87 Runs (64 Balls). 9 Fours, 2 Sixes. Strike Rate: 122.53.
Bowling: 8 Overs, 0 Maidens, 45 Runs, 2 Wickets. Economy: 5.62.
Fielding: Captain.