The morning in London was quiet and cold. The Indian team had already secured their spot in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy after two dominant victories. The pressure of the group stage was off.
Siddanth woke up early in his hotel room. He ordered a black coffee, drank it by the window, and put on his team tracksuit. He had to make a few decisions regarding the playing eleven for the final group stage match against South Africa. He walked down the carpeted hallway and knocked on a specific door.
The door opened. MS Dhoni stood there, holding a cup of tea.
"Good morning, Sid," Dhoni said. "Come in."
Siddanth walked into the room and took a seat on the armchair near the window.
"I wanted to talk about the lineup for today," Siddanth said directly. "We have already qualified. I want to give some experience for the young players."
Dhoni sat on the edge of his bed and took a sip of his tea. He nodded, waiting for Siddanth to continue.
"I am resting Shami and bringing Jasprit Bumrah in," Siddanth explained. "I am playing both wrist spinners, so Chahal and Kuldeep will play together. And I want to bring KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant into the middle order."
He would have played Manish Pandey if he wasn't injured.
"Who is resting for the batsmen?" Dhoni asked calmly.
"Jadeja is resting," Siddanth said. He looked at the senior wicketkeeper. "And I want you to rest today, Mahi bhai. I want to give the keeping gloves to Rishabh. He needs to feel the pace of an international game from behind the stumps. He needs the experience in a big tournament."
Most senior players would be angry or offended to be rested. Dhoni did not even blink. He placed his teacup on the saucer.
"It is a good decision," Dhoni agreed easily. "The boy has a lot of energy. He needs to play against a good team like South Africa to understand the pressure. I will sit in the dugout today."
"I am not changing the top order," Siddanth added. "Rohit, Shikhar, and Virat need to maintain their batting rhythm. But the middle order will rotate."
"It is your team, Sid. Execute the plan," Dhoni said with a quiet smile.
Siddanth thanked him and left the room. It was easy managing players when they had no toxic ego. Then he told Sanjay Bangar about his team decision and why he did it, and told him to tell Anil Kumble about it. Anil Kumble when he heard it from Sanjay didn't object it.
A few hours later, the team bus arrived at The Oval. The stadium was packed with fans wearing blue and green jerseys. The South African team was warming up on the field.
Siddanth walked out to the center for the toss. AB de Villiers, the captain of South Africa, stood waiting in his green jersey.
Ravi Shastri held the microphone for the television broadcast.
"Welcome to The Oval," Ravi announced. "India has already qualified, but South Africa needs a win to keep their hopes alive today. I have the two captains with me. AB, you have the coin."
AB de Villiers flipped the coin. Siddanth called heads.
"It is tails," Ravi said. "AB, you win the toss."
"We will bat first, Ravi," AB de Villiers said. "The pitch looks very dry. The sun is out. We want to put a big score on the board and apply pressure."
Ravi turned to Siddanth. "Siddanth, you have to bowl. Any changes to the team today?"
"We have a few changes, Ravi bhai," Siddanth replied smoothly. "Since we have qualified, we are rotating the squad to give young players some experience. Bumrah comes in for Shami. Chahal replaces Jadeja. And we are resting MS Dhoni today. Rishabh Pant will take the gloves, and KL Rahul comes into the middle order."
The crowd in the stadium murmured loudly hearing that Dhoni was rested.
"Resting MS is a huge call," Ravi noted.
"Rishabh is a talented young keeper," Siddanth explained calmly. "He needs match experience against top-tier teams in big stages. We are confident in his abilities."
The broadcast cut to the commentary box. Sourav Ganguly and Nasser Hussain were sitting behind the desk.
"A very bold move by Siddanth Deva," Nasser Hussain said. "Resting your most experienced player against a team like South Africa. But it shows how confident India is right now. They want to give the young players a taste of the action."
"It is smart captaincy," Sourav Ganguly agreed. "You need to know if your bench players can perform before the semi-finals. If someone gets injured later, Pant or Rahul will have to step in. They need game time."
The Indian team walked out to the field. Siddanth set the field placements.
Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock walked out to open the batting for South Africa.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the new ball. The match began.
The South African openers played very well. They respected the swinging ball from Bhuvi and the unorthodox action from Bumrah. They did not take any early risks. They took singles and pushed the ball into the gaps.
Behind the stumps, the atmosphere was completely different from the usual Indian matches. MS Dhoni was famous for his calm demeanor behind the wickets.
Rishabh Pant was the exact opposite.
The stump microphone picked up every single word. Pant was shouting, encouraging the bowlers, and talking constantly.
"Shaabash Bhuvi bhai! Very good line!" Pant yelled as a ball passed the off-stump.
A few overs later, Siddanth brought Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack.
"Come on Yuzi bhai!" Pant shouted loudly, clapping his padded gloves together. "Ghumega ghumega! Idhar se daalo! (It will spin! Bowl from here!)"
Hashim Amla defended the first ball.
"Aise hi, aise hi! (Just like that, just like that!)" Pant chattered from behind the stumps. "Peeche main hoon! (I am at the back!)"
Up in the commentary box, Harsha Bhogle was laughing. "You can hear Rishabh Pant all over the ground. He is a livewire. He does not stop talking for a single second."
The constant talking seemed to annoy the South African batsmen slightly.
In the twelfth over, Kuldeep Yadav was bowling to Quinton de Kock.
"Bada shot marega, Kuldeep bhai! (He will hit a big shot!)" Pant yelled loudly enough for the batsman to hear. "Fasa lo isko! (Trap him!)"
De Kock stepped out of his crease, trying to hit Kuldeep over the long-on boundary. The ball spun sharply the other way. De Kock missed it entirely.
Pant caught the ball cleanly and whipped the bails off in a flash.
The square leg umpire raised his finger.
"Stumped him!" Harsha Bhogle announced. "Rishabh Pant with a very quick piece of glovework. Kuldeep Yadav gets the first wicket. Quinton de Kock is gone."
Pant ran toward Kuldeep, jumping and hugging the spinner. South Africa was 65 for 1.
Faf du Plessis walked out to bat. He played defensively, trying to build a partnership with Hashim Amla. The two batsmen rotated the strike well against the spinners.
South Africa reached 130 for 1 by the 25th over.
Siddanth decided to bring himself into the attack. He took his cap off and handed it to the umpire.
He marked his run-up. Faf du Plessis was on strike, batting on 45 runs.
"Captain into the attack," Nasser Hussain noted. "India needs a wicket here. This partnership is looking dangerous."
Siddanth ran in. He bowled a fast, full delivery. Du Plessis defended it.
On the fourth ball of the over, Siddanth bowled a sharp, rising bouncer. Du Plessis tried to pull the ball. The ball got big on him and took the top edge.
The ball went high into the air toward fine leg. Jasprit Bumrah settled underneath it and took the catch safely.
"Caught!" Sourav Ganguly shouted. "Siddanth Deva strikes in his first over. Faf du Plessis is out. The captain breaks the partnership."
South Africa was 135 for 2.
AB de Villiers walked out to bat. He was the most dangerous batsman in the South African lineup.
Siddanth knew he had to keep de Villiers quiet. He bowled a tight line, aiming directly at the stumps. He did not give him any room to free his arms.
"Come on Sid bhai! Daal do isko! (Bowl him!)" Pant yelled from behind the stumps.
Siddanth bowled a fast yorker. De Villiers dug it out safely.
In the 35th over, Chahal removed Hashim Amla, trapping him LBW with a straight delivery.
South Africa was 170 for 3.
David Miller joined de Villiers. They tried to accelerate the scoring rate in the final ten overs.
Siddanth bowled his second spell in the death overs. He bowled slow cutters and wide yorkers.
In the 45th over, Siddanth bowled a very slow delivery outside the off-stump. David Miller swung his bat hard, trying to hit it over the extra cover boundary. He mistimed the shot completely. The ball went straight to Virat Kohli at cover.
"Another wicket for Siddanth Deva!" Harsha Bhogle called out. "David Miller falls into the trap. The change of pace works perfectly."
Siddanth finished his ten overs. He bowled tightly, restricting the flow of runs in the crucial final overs.
Bumrah and Bhuvi bowled the remaining overs. They executed their yorkers well. AB de Villiers tried to hit boundaries but was caught in the deep in the final over by Shikhar Dhawan.
South Africa finished their 50 overs with a total of 238 for 7.
"A very good bowling performance by India," Nasser Hussain said during the innings break. "They kept South Africa quiet. 238 is a below-par score on this pitch."
The players walked into the dressing room.
Siddanth wiped his face with a towel. He looked at his top-order batsmen.
"The pitch is flat," Siddanth told Rohit, Dhawan, and Kohli. "No need to rush. Take your time, build the partnerships. Let's finish this chase smoothly."
The Indian openers walked out to the middle. Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada took the new balls for South Africa.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan started carefully. They respected the bounce of Morne Morkel. After the first five overs, they started attacking the bowlers.
Rohit pulled the short balls to the mid-wicket boundary. Dhawan drove the full deliveries beautifully through the covers. They built a very strong opening stand.
Dhawan reached his half-century in 55 balls. He raised his bat to the crowd. A few overs later, he tried to cut a ball from Imran Tahir and was caught at point.
India was 95 for 1. Dhawan was out for 52 runs.
Virat Kohli walked out to bat at number three. He looked completely in control from the very first ball. He took singles and rotated the strike.
Rohit reached his half-century and started hitting sixes. He scored 65 runs before trying to hit Chris Morris over the leg side and getting caught in the deep.
India was 140 for 2.
Siddanth put his batting helmet down on the bench. He turned to Yuvraj Singh.
"You go next, Yuvi paaji," Siddanth instructed. "Take your time in the middle."
Yuvraj nodded, picked up his bat, and walked out.
"A change in the batting order," Sourav Ganguly noted on the broadcast. "Siddanth Deva is holding himself back. He is sending the middle order in to get some batting practice before the semi-finals."
Yuvraj Singh played some classic, elegant shots. He hit Imran Tahir for a beautiful straight six. He scored 24 runs but was eventually caught behind off the bowling of Rabada.
India was 185 for 3.
KL Rahul walked out to bat next. He played with solid technique. He defended the good balls and pushed the singles. Kohli continued his excellent form at the other end, reaching his half-century smoothly.
Kohli scored 58 runs before edging a ball to the wicketkeeper.
India was 215 for 4. They needed 24 runs to win.
Siddanth looked at Rishabh Pant, who was sitting on a chair, eagerly waiting for his turn.
"Go finish the game, Rishabh," Siddanth said.
Pant grabbed his helmet and sprinted out to the middle. He did not walk; he literally jogged to the crease.
"Here comes the young man," Harsha Bhogle laughed. "Rishabh Pant is full of energy. He kept wickets well today, let's see how he bats."
Pant took his guard. Imran Tahir was bowling.
Tahir tossed the ball up. Pant did not defend. On his very first ball, he dropped to one knee and played a reverse sweep. The ball flew over the short third man fielder for a boundary.
The Indian dressing room burst into laughter.
"He plays his own brand of cricket," Nasser Hussain said, amused. "First ball in an international run chase, and he plays a reverse sweep."
Pant did not stop. He hit Rabada for a straight boundary. He hit Morne Morkel for a massive pull shot over square leg for a six.
KL Rahul stayed quiet at the other end, scoring 18 not out.
In the 42nd over, Pant stepped down the track to Imran Tahir and hit the ball high over the long-on boundary for a massive six to end the match.
The ball landed in the empty stands.
"India wins comfortably by six wickets!" Harsha Bhogle announced loudly. "A very easy run chase. They test their bench strength, rest their senior players, and still dominate South Africa. This Indian team is looking very dangerous ahead of the semi-finals."
Rishabh Pant took his helmet off and hugged KL Rahul in the middle of the pitch. Pant had scored a quick 22 not out from just 10 balls to finish the game.
The players shook hands on the field. Siddanth walked out and patted Pant on the back for a good performance.
During the post-match presentation, Virat Kohli was given the Man of the Match award for his 58 runs and his crucial catches in the field.
The Indian team walked back to the dressing room, confident and ready for the knockout stages of the tournament. The changes had worked. The bench players had proven they were ready to step up if needed.
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@CricFanatic99: Pant behind the stumps is pure comedy. "Ghumega ghumega!" He didn't let the South African batsmen concentrate at all! 😂
@BlueArmyIndia: Deva resting Dhoni and sending the kids to finish the run chase. Absolute flex. This team has too much depth.
@PantSmashClub: First ball reverse sweep in a run chase! Rishabh Pant has zero fear. The future is bright!
@ViratGang: Another fifty for the King. Kohli is making run-scoring look like a daily routine.
@SouthAfricaCricketFan: We just did not have enough runs. The Indian spinners choked us in the middle. Well played, India.
@MemeLordIndia: MS Dhoni sitting in the dugout watching Pant shout for 50 overs straight. [Image of a guy rubbing his temples in stress] 🤣
@RohitSharma45_Fan: Rohit's pull shots today were beautiful. The Hitman is in great form for the semi-finals!
@BCCI_Updates: A comfortable 6-wicket victory! Team India finishes the group stage at the top of the table. Semi-finals next!
@KuldeepSpinMagic: Kuldeep getting de Kock stumped. That ball turned so much! Wrist spin is the way to go.
@Deva_Supremacy: Siddanth didn't even bat today. He just gave the young guys a chance to shine. Great captaincy.
@CricketShitpost: Pant yelling "Bada shot marega!" right before the batsman actually tries to hit a big shot and gets out. Pant can see the future!
@KL_Rahul_Squad: Rahul looked very solid today. 18 not out. Good to see him back in the runs.
@GullyCricketGod: Deva getting Faf and Miller out completely stopped South Africa from reaching 280. Crucial wickets.
@YuviPaaji_Fan: Yuvraj hit that one six so cleanly. I wish he stayed longer, but 24 runs is a good warm-up.
@FastBowling_Fan: Bumrah and Bhuvi executed the yorkers perfectly in the death overs. AB de Villiers could not hit them at all.
@MemeCentral_IND: South African batsmen trying to bat while Pant screams from behind the stumps. [Image of a guy covering his ears] 🎧
@CricketFanatic_MUM: The top 3 (Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli) scoring fifties makes chasing 238 look like child's play.
@HarshaBhogle (Verified): The confidence to rest MS Dhoni in an ICC tournament match shows the belief Siddanth Deva has in his squad.
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Siddanth Deva Match Statistics:
Batting: DNB (Did Not Bat)
Bowling: 10 Overs, 1 Maiden, 51 Runs, 2 Wickets. Economy: 5.10.
Fielding: Captain.