23rd June 2021
Virat suddenly woke up at the mid night, panting heavily. He looked his around to find anushka and vamika sound asleep. He sighed and got up from bed and walked to the balcony. He silently sat there, trying his best to calm down. But he couldn't forget his nightmare.
They lost again, by a huge margin. He saw how his best friend looked completely devastated, just like he looked after 2019 world cup defeat. He saw how his kiddos were stood in the ground with their head hung low, trying to hide their disappointment and tears from him. He saw how everyone was blaming him for this!! How every indian fan were demanding to sack him from the captaincy. He could have handled it but the worst thing he saw that his teammates, his second family also blamed him for this. They also thought that he's the reason behind their continues defeats in knock out matches. They left him alone and that's the thing that scares him the most.
He could sustain every damn thing in the world, but he couldn't bear his family ignoring and blaming him.
Virat shook his head.
"No that was just a stupid bad dream, virat kohli. Stop thinking about that and go to sleep. You've a big task in your hands. You've to make sure to win this match. SO STOP OVERTHINKINGS AND GO BACK."
Virat inhaled deeply and went back. He laid on bed and was staring mindlessly at the ceiling, before sleeping eventually.
Day 4 of the final
Both the not out batsmen, Virat and Pujara came to the crease to resume their innings. Before taking the strike, virat first went to the nz wicket keeper BJ Wattling, who was playing his last test match and congratulated him for his test career. Wattling seemed a bit surprised at first, but then he smiled and shook his hand with the indian captain. Match started and both the batsmen were playing responsibly, careful not to lose any wicket. But in the 35th over, when Kyle Jamison bowled a short length delivery outside off the stump virat misjudged the ball again and tried to play a short. Ball edged with bat and Bj wattling took no moment to catch the ball. Jamieson roared to celebrate, when umpire rised his finger and whole nz team jumped to celebrate. It took virat a moment to realize what he have done but it's too late now. Pujara threw a helpless glance at his captain, who walked back to the pavilion, looking completely broken. Rahane tried to comfort his best friend when he walked into the ground but virat didn't said anything to him and walked away.
India lost it's biggest match winner on the score of 71 and it became worse when india lost another 2 wickets of Dependable Pujara and vice captain rahane in next few overs and by the lunch india's score was 130 and they already lost half of the team. All hopes of indian fans were on the young wicket keeper Rishab Pant and All rounder Ravindra Jadeja, the last recognized batting pair of indian batting line up. Virat was all silent throughout the lunch and Rohit was trying his best to cheer him up. Before going back to the ground, rishab came to his captain and said
"I'll try my best, virat bhaiya!! I promise I'll!!"
For the first time since his dismissal, virat smiled a little.
"I know you'll, rishu!! I believe you."
Rishab smilingly hugged his Virat bhaiya and went back to the ground with Jadeja.
The partnership of Pant and Jadeja was slowly forming stronger and indian fans were starting to regain their hopes but when in the 62th over jadeja got out and shortly after boult got both pant and ashwin's wicket in one over, all beliefs of winning the match were shattered. Rishab came back to the dressing room, finding his captain sitting at the same place where he sat 2 hour ago. He tearfully went to him
"I'm sorry, virat bhaiya!! I disappointed you again!! I shouldn't have played that shot!! I'm so sorry virat bhaiya."
Virat hide his sorrow and smiled to his kiddo.
"No rishu, you tried. You tried more than all of us. Be proud of that."
Rishab was trying to say something more but he stopped himself witnessing how much sad virat was. He was not the only one to observe virat's sadness. Every single person there knew how much this Championship meant for him. It's not like they didn't want to win it. They did. But not like virat. Ever since he became the captain of the Indian test team, he had only one dream: to become the greatest test side of the history of Cricket!! He did everything he could to take India to the top. But now it looks like that he's going to face the heartbreak again. So everyone in the team was giving him space, besides rohit who was silently sitting with his best friend determined not to leave him alone. When india got all out in just 170, jinks came to virat and informed him that 4th innings will start soon. Virat got up and signaled everyone to get ready to field. Jinks was feeling miserable, silently blaming himself for virat's state.
"Only if i had played more carefully. I'm the reason that my ever chirpy captain is sitting silently. I shouldn't have failed him."
Little did he knew that every team members were having the same thought. Everyone was blaming themselves.
After the innings break, the indian team were positioned according to field set up as the nz openers, Latham and Conway came to the crease. By the tea, both the openers scored 19 without losing any wicket and it was clear that nz will win this match. So after the Tea, when Ashwin got both the openers out it didn't bothered New Zealand that much as they only needed 95 run to win. Kane and Ross were on the crease to make sure of their win. Every time kane hit a four, everyone can see how indian players were slowly giving up.
In the last ball of the 46th over, when Ross hit a cover drive it was official.
New Zealand were the winners of the first world test Championship!! And india once again failed to surpass that final huddle!! It's final that virat lost his biggest dream.
Kane and Ross hugged each other smilingly and why not?? After the heartbreak of 2019, they achieved what they deserved!! They finally won a icc trophy!! Kane was happy but suddenly he remembered something and turned towards his opponent captain and he immediately regretted for doing so. Cause he wouldn't be able to forget how much heartbroken his ever smily best friend was looking!! Kane immediately rushed towards him and rested his head against him, to assure him that he tried his best and it's ok to lose sometimes. He'll achieve this one day too. In reflex virat hugged kane back but kane could clearly tell that the usual warmth of his hug was missing.
Virat whispered a 'well done' to kane and kane was feeling a little bit of sadness witnessing virat's cold behavior towards him. Virat shook his hand with all nz players and silently stood in a corner alone while waiting for the presentation event to start. After shaking hands with all players, kane alos joined him shortly. He reached to him and called him
"Virat.....i...."
Virat turned towards him all smiling, trying his best to hide his emotions.
"So congratulations Williamson!! World Test Champions huh!! Well you actually deserved to win this!! Congratulations and well played!!!"
Kane sighed.
"Yeah thank you virat. But you..."
"Yeah I'm fine kane, i really am. Trust me it's nothing new for me actually. Well You know our record in knock outs is a little.... you know....."
Virat hurriedly said and laughed a little, kane knew that smile's meaning. 2 year ago he was also hiding his pain by a fake smile. He knew what virat must have feeling now. So he decided to give him space and talk to him later.
Later at the presentation, virat admitted that again 40 45 minutes of bad game costed them the final. He praised his RCB teammate and player of the match Kyle Jamieson for his all round performance and admitted that the way nz played, they deserved to be the winners.
After the presentation, kane was handed the wtc mace and all players of nz were cheering and positioning themselves to pose with it, where indian players were stood there silently, their heads hung low.
Anyone who witnessed this scene could have felt that the same!!
How much cruel this sport can be!!!