The flight from London to Port of Spain, Trinidad, was long and tiring. The Indian team arrived in the Caribbean feeling the immediate change in the weather. London had been cool and wet. Trinidad was hot, humid, and very sunny.
They checked into their beachside hotel. The mood in the camp was completely different from the previous month. Anil Kumble had resigned. Sanjay Bangar, the batting coach, was promoted to interim head coach for this short tour.
Bangar did not impose strict curfews. He did not hold long, intense meetings. He told the players to relax, play their natural game, and enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere. The players appreciated the breathing room.
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They went to the Queen's Park Oval for their practice. The stadium was surrounded by hills and green trees. Local fans watched them train from the open stands, playing steel drums and cheering.
Two days later, it was time for the first One Day International.
Siddanth walked out to the center of the pitch for the toss. Jason Holder, the tall West Indies captain, stood waiting.
Up in the commentary box, the voices of the broadcast welcomed the viewers.
"Welcome to the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain," Ian Bishop announced. "The Champions Trophy winners are here. India takes on the West Indies in a five-match ODI series. It is a beautiful ground, but we have some dark clouds looming over the hills."
"The weather can be tricky here, Ian," Sunil Gavaskar added. "But looking at the Indian team, they look very relaxed. Winning a major tournament takes the pressure off."
Siddanth won the toss. He chose to bat first.
Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane walked out to open the innings. They started well. Dhawan hit a few boundaries through the off-side.
In the tenth over, the sky turned dark. A loud clap of thunder echoed over the stadium. Heavy, thick rain started pouring down instantly. The umpires called the players off the field. The ground staff rushed out with the large white covers to protect the pitch.
Inside the dressing room, the players sat around waiting.
An hour passed. The rain did not stop.
Siddanth sat on a bench, looking at his phone. He was testing his new mental ability. He opened a complex puzzle game on his screen. At the same time, he was having a full conversation with Rohit Sharma about the local food options in Trinidad.
He found that he could play the game perfectly while actively listening and responding to Rohit. His brain processed the two completely different tasks without any confusion or delay. It felt incredibly smooth.
"I heard there is a good seafood place near the hotel," Rohit said, looking out the window at the rain.
"We can ask the hotel manager to book a table for the team tonight," Siddanth replied, completing a tough level on his game without looking away from the screen. "We should try the local crab curry."
By 3:00 PM, the match referee walked into the dressing room. He shook his head.
"The outfield is completely flooded," the referee informed them. "The match is abandoned."
The first ODI ended with no result. The teams packed their bags and returned to the hotel.
Two days later, the sky over Port of Spain was clear and blue. The second ODI was ready to begin.
Siddanth lost the toss. Jason Holder chose to bowl first.
"The West Indies want to use the early moisture on the pitch," Harsha Bhogle said on the broadcast. "India will have to bat carefully in the first ten overs."
Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan opened the batting. They played a brilliant, careful innings. They saw off the new ball and built a massive partnership. Rahane scored a beautiful century. He hit the ball along the ground, finding the gaps with ease. Kohli came in at number three and scored a quick eighty.
In the fortieth over, Kohli got out.
India was 240 for 2.
Siddanth walked out to bat. He wanted to finish the innings strongly.
He took his guard against Alzarri Joseph. The fast bowler pitched the ball short. Siddanth pulled it over deep square leg for a six on his second ball.
Siddanth batted aggressively. He did not let the West Indies bowlers settle. He used his feet against the spinners and hit the fast bowlers down the ground. He shared a fast partnership with MS Dhoni.
Siddanth finished the innings unbeaten on 52 runs from just 24 balls.
India posted a massive total of 310 for 5.
"A fantastic finish by the Indian captain," Ian Bishop noted during the break. "He came in and completely changed the momentum. 310 is a very tough score to chase here."
The West Indies began their chase.
Siddanth took the new white ball. He marked his run-up.
He ran in and bowled to Evin Lewis. He used his upgraded swing bowling ability. He kept his wrist perfectly straight. The ball pitched on the middle stump and swung away sharply late in its path.
Lewis tried to defend, but the swing beat his bat completely. The ball hit the off-stump.
"Bowled him!" Sunil Gavaskar shouted. "What a beautiful delivery from Siddanth Deva! The ball just shaped away at the last moment. Evin Lewis is gone for a duck!"
Siddanth struck again in his third over, trapping Shai Hope LBW with an in-swinging delivery.
The West Indies could not recover from the early wickets. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin spun a web in the middle overs. The West Indies batsmen struggled to read Kuldeep's wrist spin.
The West Indies were all out for 205 runs.
India won the second ODI by 105 runs. Siddanth took two wickets and scored a fast fifty. India took a 1-0 lead in the series.
The teams traveled to the island of Antigua for the third and fourth matches.
The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound was a familiar ground for Siddanth. He liked playing here.
In the third ODI, West Indies won the toss and chose to bat first.
Siddanth and Bhuvneshwar Kumar opened the bowling. The pitch offered good bounce. Siddanth bowled fast and full. He kept the pressure on the opening batsmen. He did not give away any easy runs.
He took three wickets in his ten overs. He dismissed the dangerous Jason Mohammed with a fast bouncer and cleaned up the lower order.
The West Indies were bundled out for a mere 200 runs.
"A very disciplined bowling performance by India," Harsha Bhogle summarized. "Siddanth Deva led from the front with three wickets. 200 runs should be an easy chase for this strong Indian batting lineup."
It was an easy chase.
MS Dhoni, promoted to number four, anchored the innings perfectly. He scored an unbeaten 78 runs. Ajinkya Rahane scored another solid fifty. India chased down the target in the thirty-eighth over without breaking a sweat.
Siddanth did not even need to bat.
India won by six wickets and took a 2-0 lead in the series.
Two days later, the fourth ODI took place at the same venue in Antigua.
Siddanth won the toss and chose to bat first. He wanted to give his batsmen a challenge.
The West Indies bowlers came out with a clear plan. Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph bowled brilliantly with the new ball. They hit the right areas and got the ball to bounce awkwardly.
Shikhar Dhawan was caught at slip in the second over. Virat Kohli chased a wide ball and edged it to the wicketkeeper for 12 runs. Ajinkya Rahane played a loose shot and was caught at point.
Within the first fifteen overs, India was in deep trouble at 45 for 3.
The crowd in Antigua cheered loudly, sensing an upset.
Dhoni walked out to bat at number five. He joined Deva in the middle.
"This is a real test for India," Ian Bishop said on the commentary. "They have lost their top order very early. The pitch is doing a bit for the fast bowlers. Siddanth Deva and MS Dhoni have a massive rebuilding job to do."
Siddanth took his guard. He faced Jason Holder.
Siddanth played the ball with complete calm. He defended the good deliveries. He pushed the ball into the empty gaps for singles. He did not hit a boundary for his first thirty balls.
Dhoni played the same way at the other end. They slowly rebuilt the innings. They took the score past 100 in the twenty-fifth over.
Once the threat of the new ball was gone, Siddanth started to open up. He read the spinners easily. He stepped out of his crease and hit Devendra Bishoo for a straight boundary. He pulled the fast bowlers when they bowled short.
He reached his half-century in 65 balls. He raised his bat to the dressing room.
"He has completely stabilized the innings," Sunil Gavaskar praised. "He soaked up all the pressure when the team was struggling. Now he is starting to score freely."
Dhoni scored a valuable 54 runs before getting caught in the deep.
Hardik Pandya came in and supported his captain.
Siddanth batted through to the end of the innings. In the forty-eighth over, he drove a full ball past cover for a boundary.
"And there it is!" Harsha Bhogle announced as the crowd applauded. "A brilliant century for Siddanth Deva! He walked in when India was in big trouble. He played responsibly, built the partnerships, and now he reaches his hundred. A true captain's knock."
Siddanth took his helmet off and raised his bat. He smiled. It was a very satisfying innings.
He hit a few more boundaries in the final two overs. He finished unbeaten on 112 runs from 105 balls.
India posted a fighting total of 258 for 6.
The Indian bowlers defended the total perfectly. Mohammed Shami took four wickets, bowling fast yorkers and bouncers. Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets in the middle overs.
The West Indies were all out for 195 runs.
India won the match by 63 runs. They took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series, officially winning the trophy.
The final match of the ODI series took place in Kingston, Jamaica.
Since the series was already won, Siddanth and Bangar decided to test the bench strength. They rested Bhuvneshwar Kumar and MS Dhoni. Rishabh Pant was brought in to keep wickets and bat in the middle order. Bumrah was given a game.
Siddanth won the toss and chose to bat first.
The pitch at Sabina Park was very slow. The ball did not come onto the bat. The West Indies bowlers used slower balls and cutters effectively.
The Indian batting order struggled. Rahane and Dhawan got out early. Kohli scored 39 runs but could not accelerate.
Siddanth walked in to bat. He tried to push the scoring rate, but the pitch made timing very difficult. He hit one boundary before trying to loft a slow ball over long-on. He mistimed it completely and was caught in the deep for 20 runs.
Rishabh Pant tried to hit big shots but was also caught out.
India managed to post a below-par score of 190 for 9.
"This is the lowest score India has posted on this tour," Ian Bishop noted. "The pitch is very slow, but the West Indies will fancy their chances of chasing this down and getting a win."
The West Indies batted sensibly. Shai Hope anchored their innings perfectly. He did not take risks against Siddanth or Shami. He picked off the loose deliveries from the spinners.
The West Indies chased down the target in the forty-seventh over, winning the match by six wickets.
The Indian players walked off the field. They shook hands with the West Indies team.
In the dressing room, the mood was slightly quiet after the loss.
Siddanth stood up. He looked at his team.
"It is fine," Siddanth said calmly. "We cannot win every single game. The pitch was slow, and we did not adapt well enough with the bat. It is a good lesson for us. But keep your heads up. We won the series 3-1. We dominated the majority of the tour."
The players nodded. The loss was a minor bump, but the overall result was positive.
The final match of the Caribbean tour was a lone T20 International, also played at Sabina Park in Jamaica.
The stadium was packed. The local fans loved T20 cricket. They brought horns and drums, creating a loud, party atmosphere.
Carlos Brathwaite, the West Indies T20 captain, won the toss and chose to bat first.
"We want to put on a show for the home crowd," Brathwaite said at the toss.
They certainly did.
Evin Lewis, the explosive West Indies opener, played one of the best innings of his life. He hit the Indian fast bowlers all over the park. He smashed sixes over the roof of the stadium. He did not spare the spinners either.
Siddanth bowled well, taking one wicket for 28 runs in his four overs, but the rest of the Indian bowling attack suffered.
Evin Lewis scored a massive, unbeaten century. The West Indies posted a huge total of 190 for 6 in their twenty overs.
"What an incredible display of power hitting," Harsha Bhogle said during the innings break. "Evin Lewis was unstoppable today. India has a massive chase on their hands. 191 to win on a pitch that can be tricky."
The Indian openers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, walked out to begin the chase.
They knew they had to start fast. Rohit hit two boundaries in the first over. Kohli stepped out and hit a six over mid-wicket in the second over.
They built a very fast, aggressive partnership of 80 runs in eight overs.
Rohit got out trying to hit a slower ball. Kohli scored a brilliant 65 runs before getting bowled by a yorker.
India was 120 for 2 in the fourteenth over. They needed 71 runs from 36 balls.
Siddanth and MS Dhoni are at the crease.
"The two best finishers in the game are at the crease," Sunil Gavaskar noted. "The required run rate is almost twelve runs an over. They need to hit boundaries."
Siddanth took his guard. He looked at the field. He did not feel any pressure. He enjoyed the challenge of a fast chase.
He faced Kesrick Williams.
Williams bowled a short ball outside the off-stump. Siddanth stepped back and cut the ball fiercely past the point fielder for a boundary.
On the next ball, Williams tried a full delivery. Siddanth drove it straight down the ground for another boundary.
He did not let the bowlers settle. He ran hard between the wickets with Dhoni, turning ones into twos.
In the eighteenth over, Siddanth hit two massive sixes off Carlos Brathwaite, pulling the ball over the deep square leg boundary.
The equation came down to 12 runs needed from the final over.
Jerome Taylor was bowling the final over. MS Dhoni was on strike.
Taylor bowled a wide yorker. Dhoni reached out and sliced it past short third man for a boundary.
India needed 8 runs from 5 balls.
Taylor bowled a slower ball on the pads. Dhoni flicked it to deep mid-wicket and ran a single.
India needed 7 runs from 4 balls. Siddanth was on strike. He was batting on 38 runs from 16 balls.
Taylor ran in and bowled a fast, full delivery on the middle stump.
Siddanth cleared his front leg and swung his bat smoothly. He hit the ball perfectly out of the middle. The ball flew high over the long-on boundary for a massive six.
The scores were tied. India needed 1 run from 3 balls.
Taylor bowled the next ball. It was a short bouncer. Siddanth simply rolled his wrists and pulled the ball along the ground past the short fine leg fielder for a boundary.
The match was over.
"India wins the T20 International!" Ian Bishop shouted on the broadcast. "Siddanth Deva finishes the game in style! He scores an unbeaten 48 runs from just 18 balls. A brilliant run chase by the Indian team to finish the tour on a high note!"
The Indian players in the dugout clapped and cheered. Siddanth shook hands with MS Dhoni in the middle of the pitch. They smiled and walked off the field together.
The post-match presentation took place on the grass.
Evin Lewis was given the Man of the Match award for his incredible century.
Then, the presenter called for the Man of the Series award for the ODIs.
"For his crucial century in Antigua, his fast fifty in Port of Spain, and his excellent bowling throughout the series," the presenter announced. "The Man of the Series is Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth walked up and took the trophy. The crowd applauded him. He answered a few simple questions about the tour and thanked the West Indies board for hosting them.
The team took their final group photos with the trophies.
Later that night, Siddanth returned to his hotel room in Kingston. He packed his heavy kit bag. The Caribbean tour was officially over.
He was tired, but he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. They had won the ODI series and the T20 match.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to Krithika.
Tour is done. Flying back tomorrow. See you soon.
Her reply came quickly.
Safe flight. Cannot wait to see you.
Siddanth locked his phone. He looked forward to going back to Hyderabad. He had cricket to rest from, and he had his new Tony Stark template to fully explore with VEDA at the NEXUS headquarters. The future looked very exciting.