Snippets

Expectations

A/N---- Hoping Rishabh gets rested in the fifth test because he might be a warrior but we will like to see that warrior play more battles.

(Feels incompletish once again but then again the match hasn't ended yet.)

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"How are you feeling?" was what Shubh asked on reaching the hotel.

"Like a car trampled my foot. Again." Rishabh answered.

"Bad joke."

"Sorry for not living up to your expectations when injured, your highness."

A pause.

"The doctor has recommended six weeks of total bad rest for you. We will come visit, of course but–"

"Hold your horses for a sec. 6 weeks? You'll be lucky if I agree to stay here for six more hours."

"It would be better that you stay in the hospital, Rishu. Especially since the team will have to leave for London by Tuesday."

"So? I will come with you guys. Obviously."

"But why would you–" Just then Shubman understood what the idiot was planning. "Nope, I refuse."

"But–"

"I refuse. You are not playing in the series. We are not short of players that we will have one of our best batsmen hobble around the field."

"Dhruv can keep wickets! You need me as a batsman. I can't just abandon you guys in the middle of the match!"

"You can and you will. Dare you get discharged." And with that he stormed out, thinking he had the last word.

Rishabh managed to get himself discharged within the hour.

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Rahul prided himself for being able to stay calm even when the situation wasn't the best, both on and off field. But really, he might do something he would regret later if the two idiots didn't stop with their nonsense.

"I am going to play!"

"You are not!"

"I am!"

"Why? So that the entire India can blame me for you going from fractured toe to fractured foot?"

"You say that as if you haven't played with mid-match injuries!"

"Not in Test Matches, you idiot!"

"Well you haven't played that many test matches, have you?"

Gauti bhai sighed. Yashu coughed to hide his laugh. Jaddu bhai didn't bother with any pretences. Rahul could almost imagine Yuzi there saying 'burnt!'

"You haven't played that many more matches than me!"

"Get out of my way! I want my pads! Now!"

"Over my dead body!"

"Well go lay down then because I am playing today!"

Sigh. Had he been this bad too? No, neither Rohit nor Virat would have ever taken anything like this. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to get them on the phone actually.

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"I will kill them."

"We don't condone murder, Shubh."

"They are aiming for his injured foot, Gauti bhai! Spirit of Cricket, my foot!"

"Rishu is about to score his 50. Try to look a bit more gloomy and the newspapers will have a field day."

"I can imagine the headlines: Rift in the Indian Team? Captain and Vice Captain at loggerheads?"

"Not funny, Jaddu bhai, not funny."

Just then Rishu reached his fifty by hitting a four because obviously, broken foot or not, Rishabh Pant was Rishabh Pant and he played as he wanted not according to the whims and expectations of the populace.

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