From being
the third choice opener at the start of the England series, KL Rahul is now the
only certainty on top of the order. Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan find
themselves together again, both discarded from the Test squad. What took Vijay
just two Tests, Dhawan accomplished in four.
Which
brings us to Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw. Shaw was part of the squad in
England, which, if you go by the Karun Nair selection logic means that he may not
play in either of the upcoming Tests. Agarwal is 27, Shaw is 18. Both have robust
numbers.
Before Agarwal
was picked, it appeared Shaw’s name had already been inked in the team-sheet.
Not so simple anymore.
In the West
Indies’ tour match, the two opened the innings. Agarwal made 90, Shaw 8. A two-day
game rarely gives batsmen second chances. Going by the team management fixation
with ‘current form’, Agarwal would walk in with his latest mark-sheet. Going by
the team management’s inclination towards young guns (take Risabh Pant for
instance), Shaw could walk in. And going by the team management inclination towards
muddled thinking, both could walk in, with KL Rahul at three, and Pujara on the
bench.
It’s
happened before. This is a home series. There’s a ticket to Australia up for
grabs. And India is already thinking ahead at chasing down 500 in the fourth
innings in Adelaide.
This of
course means little to Shaw or Agarwal. Both aware that they will soon be sharing
the Indian dressing room. Yet, in all possibility, only one will become the 293rd
Indian Test cricketer.
Agarwal and
Shaw found themselves together in the Board President’s XI dressing room after
the second and last day’s play. With them was India’s 292 Test player, Hanuma
Vihari.
There was a
shyness between the two openers, one that led to an awkward silence. It took
Vihari to break it.
Hanuma
Vihari (HV): Have you spoken to Dravid sir….y’kno I called Dravid sir
the day before I made my debut and told him I was making my debut.
He spoke to me for a couple of minutes and gave his
inputs and I thought it eased my nerves a little bit, because it is coming from
a legend and you know that you belong here. He just told me that you have the
skillset, you have the mindset and the temperament, just go out there and enjoy
yourself. I would like to give him a lot of credit for that because my journey
with India A was very important for me to come here, because not only that I
performed there, but the way he gave us inputs, that made me a better player
Both Shaw
and Agarwal look at Vihari dazed.
Prithvi
Shaw (PS): Bro…you just made a speech…nice one…
HV: No
problem…it’s what I told the press too. Not seen my name in print like this
before so I read it a few times. It was fun. Now I know it by heart.
Mayank
Agarwal (MA): They’ll tell us the day before…
HV:
Yes…y’kno, jokes apart, how this team goes by current form, maybe both of you
will play and I will be dropped
PS:
Bro…don’t say that…you’re always 292…and we’re openers…
MA: You’re
middle order da…
HV: You
made 90, Prithvi made 8 and I made only 3…so current form…
Vihari
walks out, leaving the two together.
PS: Bro…you
think we’ll open together…that’s crazy…Rahul will definitely open
MA: Rahul
will definitely open da…
PS: Should
we both call up Dravid sir…how to chill bro…before they announce the team…
MA: Dunno
da…we have to use it like phone-a-friend, why don’t you just call Rishabh…he’s
No. 291…he made his Test debut last month only da…call Rishabh...he’ll talk to
you like a bro da
Before
Agarwal can finish, Shaw is on the phone with Rishabh Pant
PS: Rish
Bro…how’re you bro…big question bro…how was it before your Test debut…I’m
asking for Mayank…he’s nervous as sh…
Agarwal
snatches the phone…
MA: Rish…Prithvi
just talking rubbish da…he wants to ask for himself…passing the buck…he’s going
to make his Test debut…
Rishabh
Pant (RA): M’ynk …put it on speaker yaar…I gotta message for both of you…both
of you are like my brothers and I love you both…and y’kno 4th
October is my birthday and I will be very happy if we are all playing together
but if say, only two of us are…I don’t want the third to have bad feelings…it’s
ok…dressing room is good…maybe third guy will come on as substitute fielder and
we’ll all be on the field together in a Test match for India…bros I’m getting
very emotional too…
PS: All
that is ok, how do we handle the build-up to the Test cap, bro
RA: What
build up?
MA: Anxiety
da…stress, tension…should we call up Dravid sir?
RA: Why?
I’m telling you don’t take stress. You’ll either be 293 or 294 or 295…it’s coming
guys…I know it…and in the evening, treat for my birthday…
MA: What
treat? You know we’ll be eating in the team hotel and management picks the
bill, da
RA: It’s
nice to say bro…don’t spoil my birthday
PS:
Bro…thanks…talk soon bro
Shaw shrugs
as he looks at Agarwal…the two decide to call Test Cap No. 290, Jasprit Bumrah
PS: Hi Jas
bro…how’re you? gotta minute…
JB
(overstepping): Hi..Hi…Prithvi…thanks in advance
PS: Oh
right, bro…congrats…great win…bro…can I ask you a question…how did you handle it
bro…before your Test debut
JB: It was
ok…I had already made by ODI debut 2 years before…so it was good…ok…why are you
asking? Oh right, for yourself? But what if Mayank A…
MA: Hi
Jaspreet…Mayank here, congrats, great win da…loved it…we’re here together…just
wondering…what prep…
JB: No…no
prep…enjoy the moment…
As there
are no answers from Bumrah either, the two decide on one final call. No 289.
Hardik Pandya. They make a video call.
Hardik
Pandya (HP) (in a bathtub): Hi guys…wasup? Just taking it easy…back is
screwed…ready for Test debut and all…good luck…don’t take any stress…if you’re
nervous…enjoy the nerves man…it’s a once in a life-time opp…I’m telling
you…nothing like it…will miss not being with you…but we can do a video call
that day in the evening…would love to speak to both of you…no hard feelings…oh
what did you call for? Seeing me in a bath tub…you dirty boys…
Feeling
better after speaking with Pandya, they decide to call No 288, Kuldeep Yadav
It was
either the phone line or Kuldeep’s thickly accented American-Australian English
fusion, that they understood very little of what he said. They quickly
congratulate him and get off the phone.
Enjoying
this sport way too much, they decide to call No 287, Karun Nair.
Karun Nair
(taped message) Hi…this is Karun Nair…if you’re calling to ask how I felt being
in the squad for England…and not playing a game…press 1…if you want to know how
it feels being left out of the squad for the West Indies’ series press 2…if
you..
They hang
up. And look at each other blankly. They then hug each other. Suddenly aware of
certain realities.
(However
plausible this may sound, this is largely a work of fiction)
First published here
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