Will anybody ever be talking about how ridiculous the 2011 tour of england was? We landed there as world champions, our team packed with once in a generation players and then everything went downhill from there. Like nine players got injured,, ffs the squad is usually of fifteen and nine of them got injured like it is so sad that it is comical. If I was MS Dhoni, I would be hysterical. Rohit dislocated his finger. Sachin played with a toe injury and ended up getting ruled out of the ODI series. Zak got injured first day of the first match. Yuvraj came back and got injured in the second test. Bhajji too, second test injury. Sehwag shoulder injury. Ishant ankle injury. Gambhir concussion. Praveen Kumar ankle injury. Munaf Patel, one of the most underrated keys to winning the cup got a career ending injury. There was this interview on cricinfo, some postmatch thing where the journalist found it ridiculous to face as quoted "the proud man who had lost the last ten matches he had played,". Because really what was there to say even, the main pace attack gone, most of their main batsmen gone, Virat was having to bowl so much in that series and he picked up a minor injury too. Any other man would have gone crazy, all it did to Mahi was make him a bit cynical and too used to disasters. In a way he was almost amused, which I guess is the closest to hysterical he can get. India needs to hire him as their resource manager, because somehow with next to nothing he managed to put up a fight. He ended up as the player of the series for ODIs, Rahul was player of the series for the tests, Virat was doing everything he could and more. If there were perhaps even one less injury (mainly Zak, come on he was the backbone of pace), we could have won something but no we fall like a pack of dominoes XD. A literal fucking jinx that tour.
This one shot is well, from that jinx of a tour. Here's to one of my fav duos carrying the Indian team almost single handedly in that tour. The title Perfidious Albion is an old nickname of England. England used to be called Albion- derived from latin word Albus meaning White. Perfidious Albion used to be used by critics to describe England's duplicity or treachery.
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Rahul loved England. He may have a lot of thoughts on its inhabitants, not all of them friendly, but there was no doubt about the charm of the country itself.
- "Country and citizens are intrinsically linked yeah, but I don't know- the country is not its people you know? That's like saying the parents are the same as their kids. We get some things from our parents but they were different people and we are different people. Country and people have the same relation to me,"-
Mahi had once said those words to him on a late slow night, sometime after the disaster of 2007 CWC. They used to do that a lot during his own captaincy run, sit on the terrace and just talk. Those were his loneliest years but he could never forget those nights, sharing cups after cups of tea because that was one thing they both liked. Mahi had made the silence of his friends so much more bearable just by being his strange, introspective, childish self. He hadn't been captain back then, just Jammy's kid. A strange kid with a lot of profound thoughts that seemed to come out of nowhere but his nonetheless. Those words had helped him get over the bitterness of the public reaction to their ouster. Rahul wasn't like Sourav, he couldn't use people's hate to fuel himself on. He wasn't Mahi either, who had turned entirely scornful of media. He wasn't Sachin, who was battlehardened, worshipped as much as hated. He was just Rahul, just a normal guy who did get hurt when words pierced through his defences. He was just some guy, so yeah, despite being familiar with the fickleness of public opinion he had still felt betrayed. He had also felt a bit guilty for liking England so much, until the distinction between the country and its people became real to him. He didn't feel so guilty now. He loved England, with its cloudy weather, its theaters, its literature and its little posh gardens. But even he had to admit, England undoubtedly was still somehow cursing them Indians with misfortune some sixty years after Independence.
For one, he had never seen these many injuried at once in the same squad. And this had happened twice. Last time in 2007 too, atleast half of them had gotten the flu. But England had outdone itself and struck harder this time around. Nine of fifteen gone. That had to be some sort of a record. Especially considering that atleast three more people were self medicating with minor injuries. Their medical wing was full to the brim, the physios were working overtime, there was not one member of the team management who was free and Mahi- Mahi could only be spotted for brief seconds. He was everywhere and nowhere at once, flitting between the injured players, talking to the physios, holding meetings with the BCCI, trying to find players for their last two games because yes it was not about selecting anymore. They would be thankful if they just get eleven players for the match. And he was still somehow rounding back to check up on Virat and Rohit every hour or so. Never let it be said that Mahi wasn't a worrywart. He was. A big one too. It's just that he was really good at hiding it.
Mahi was good at hiding a lot of things, must have been a kickass hide-n-seek player in his childhood. He could hide anything from pain to affection to grief for worrying amounts of times. The seniors- God he felt like a Grandpa- had to work overtime to figure out if anything was wrong with him. Because there was no man who could look as normal and chill in distress as Mahi could. It had to be bad if Mahi looked the way he felt. And currently, the boy looked tired to death. Rest was holy grail to cricketers and Mahi looked like he had never heard of the word. His normally erect posture was leaning to the side everytime he stopped to talk to the physio, his usual hyper awareness was low, he had walked right past Rahul's disapproving gaze thrice and hadn't noticed it. Above all, Mahi was lost in his head in the few moments he was free.
They were all littered around the team room, injured and non injured alike. It was getting close to bedtime but everyone seemed to be seeking the familiar comfort of the group to relax after such gruelling days. Everyone except Mahi ofcourse. He had come down, Virat on his back -something about not wanting the kid to put even an ounce of weight on his sore leg, he couldn't afford losing another player- Rohit trailing after them. And then had left two minutes later to attend some BCCI call. He got that the Board was worried but nagging the captain wasn't going to do shit in Rahul's humble opinion (-his humble opinion also included a few choice words for the monkeys in suits, but you know, what does he know? He was just some guy) but the Board apparently didn't share the same opinion. Mahi came back into the room half an hour later, completely oblivious to the concerned gaze of both him and Sachin. They exchanged a worried glance watching their kid weave absent mindedly through players, cataloguing probably how their injuries were coming along, before downing his abandoned and undoubtedly cold cup of tea as if it was a shot. Before they could react to THAT, the damn phone rang again.
That did it for Rahul.
"Alright, that's enough," he snapped out loud, uncaring that everyone in the room was turning to look at him, eyebrows raised. The boys that did recognize Captain Dravid silently oohed while the younger bunch, for whom their little Mahi was apparently THE Mahi Bhai, just stared wide eyed as Rahul snatched Mahi's phone before he could pick the call. He firmly switched it off and kept it on the table.
"Bh-What- BHAI you can't just do that! Those were the selectors-"
"They can call you tomorrow, when you have slept for ten hours atleast. Have you had your dinner between all this running? When was the last time you even sat down?" he asked incredulously.
Mahi opened his mouth to give a smart retort before pausing and blinking, "Would you be mad if I say that I actually don't know the answer to that question?"
"Yes,".
"Well then I won't be answering that. Who keeps a track of when they sit anyway?"
"Mahi Bhai, you sat with me for those five minutes during dinner," Jaddu spoke up timidly from his little corner. Him, Virat and Rohit had gotten hold of a tub of icecream and currently in the process of demolishing it.
Mahi perked up and pointed at the kid, "There's your answer,".
"Dinner was two hours ago," Rohit added unhelpfully.
Rahul turned an unimpressed eye towards their captain who genuinely looked a little lost "It was two hours ago? I didn't get to eat though! What are we doing here then? I thought we were here for dinner,".
"Team bwondinf," Virat answered through a mouthful of icecream.
"Ah," Mahi nodded in understanding. Rahul and Sachin sighed in tandem.
"Are you killing him or can I?" Sachin asked. The way all the youngsters got wide eyed and worried would have been funnier to him had he not been so exasperated. The only thing he was feeling was this urge to shake Mahi for his questionable work habits he will no doubt defend and raze England while he was at it. What did this country have against them ? Except for them being Indian that is.
"I got this," he answered grabbing onto the captain's shirt none too gently. He could hear Jaddu choking from across the room as he dragged Mahi bodily away.
"Bhai- wait, you forgot my phone, we haven't found a replacement for RP yet. His fingers are bruised, if he isn't able to bowl, we don't have any-"
He brought them to a stop infront of the elevators and turned around to face Mahi, holding him firmly by the shoulders, "If you don't stop now, we will be having to find replacements for you too. We can find that extra bowler or a batsman anywhere in India, but we won't be finding another captain like you. So stop okay? Just stop,".
That did stop him. There was a barely noticeable pale look on his face as finally all the masks fell away and tired eyes met his own. Rahul pulled him into the elevator and as soon as the doors slid shut, Mahi drooped. His posture left him for good as he bent over and eventually sat down on his haunches, head bowed. Rahul knelt down worriedly infront of him.
"Mahi?"
"I think it might be better if we found another captain anyway," he answered quietly.
Rahul firmly tipped his chin up to make the kid meet his eyes, so he could see how dead serious he was "Mahi, there was nothing you could have done in those Tests, we were literally falling like flies. It is an eleven man game and we barely had six and a half,".
Mahi gave a cynical snort, "I don't know. It's starting to feel like I am cursed. Everything is just falling apart, everyone and their mother is injured, you are retiring from ODIs-"
"Ma-"
"I know, I know," Mahi mumbled and lifted himself up as the doors slid open on their floor. Rahul sighed and followed him out, catching his arm before he could make for the captain's suite.
"You can drop the captain act," he said pulling him towards his own room. He had meant it when he had said that he wanted the kid to get ten hours of sleep before resuming any duties. Even if that duty was keeping the door open for juniors to barge in any time of the night. To his credit, Mahi was not protesting now. If anything he was oddly silent as he was manhandled to the bed. Rahul peered at him worried but he kept his silence and ordered him food.
"How are you feeling?" he asked after the long minutes of silence got to him.
Mahi had zoned out. He had been in an indefinite work mode for so long, his brain was struggling to compute the pause Jammy Bhai was forcing him to take. It was like he had suddenly put a break on a bike going 160 mph and now the back wheel was up in a wheelie, but the momentum was out of his control so his body was, in slow motion being sprung from the bike into a headfirst crash. He had no energy to put it into words though, so he just mimed the action hoping the message would go across. From the way Bhai sighed, it might have.
Rahul rubbed his forehead, half amused, half exasperated. He had no idea just what exactly Mahi was acting out with his hands but he got the gist of it. Something along the lines of going too fast and crashing. What else did he expect, running around trying to do everything himself? The room service rang before he could comment on it though.
Mahi gingerly picked up a plate to serve himself, six of his ten fingers were wrapped up, the usual wicketkeeper's curse but he hadn't had time to treat them like he usually did after each game. The built up of stiffness and soreness from the neglect was making itself known now that he actually had time to notice these things. He was rewarded with a smack upside his head from his Bhai.
"Ow, Bhai are you trying to extend the injury list?" he grouched rubbing his head. That had been a hard one.
"You are doing that on your own," Rahul shot back snatching the plate from him, "Ask for help, you little idiot," he kept the now loaded plate infront of the boy expectantly.
Mahi scowled and scooped up a spoonful. Rahul smacked him again.
"OW! What was that for!"
"What did I just tell you to do?" Rahul scolded.
Mahi stared dumbly at the plate and back at him, "Eat?"
"No!" he took the spoon and the plate, "I said ask for help!" he stuffed the spoonful into Mahi's mouth a little aggressively. In his defence, it had been a really tiring tour and there were too many idiots. He was fast losing any patience he had left.
"You are just being mean now," Mahi tried to complain but Rahul shoved more rice into his mouth, "BHWAI" he exclaimed indignantly through his mouthful.
"Oh, hush, you are fine. Stop pouting," Rahul dismissed his indignancy. His policy was be an idiot, get treated like an idiot. It had always worked like gold for Sachin and Sourav too.
"I'm wot powting"
"Yes you are. You are pouting and whining..." Rahul was taking advantage of his position of power, not letting Mahi air out his grievances while teasing the shit out of him. It was a very temporary position though, thanks to his rather aggressive speed, dinner was over in barely ten minutes. Mahi had had to accept his fate and resignedly accept each bite. Tragic. Rahul gave a bright teasing grin once he had shoved an appropriate amount of food down the kid's throat, expecting some indignant replies in return. Mahi had zoned out again though, no longer glaring half heartedly at him. He pursed his lips disheartened, and started putting away the dishes. Mahi was still in the same position by the time he was done tidying up the room.
"Mahi?" he shook him gently.
"Hmm?" Mahi turned to him, only half focussed.
"Go to sleep,".
The kid nodded absent mindedly, turning to pick at his fingers' bandages.
"What is it?" he asked softly, kneeling down infront of the bed, keeping a hand on Mahi's knees, "Talk to us, please? You don't have to carry everything alone,".
Mahi deflated further before mumbling out almost inaudibly, "I am tired,".
"You need to rest more buddy. We will help out where-"
"No, Bhai," Mahi interrupted him and looked into his eyes, "I am tired,".
Understanding hit him, none too pleasantly, "Oh,". He knew what Mahi meant, ofcourse he did. It wasn't just physical exhaustion of the responsibilities that weighed on captains. Often there were heavier weights, like the unavoidable guilt of choosing players. Of dropping his friends. There were mental weights of big decisions, like the weight he had felt as he had let this sky fall on Mahi's shoulders the day he had given up captaincy. Mahi was tired, he was weighed. The guilt which he had thought subsided three years ago, came rushing back, like a dam had broken.
"Mahi, I am so sorry," he whispered standing up to pull him up against his chest, "I am so sorry," he repeated helplessly resting his cheek on the kid's head.
Mahi sat limply not reciprocating his hug, "The team's breaking at the seams. I knew it was coming. But I didn't- I didn't think it would happen so soon. I didn't manage them better-"
"Hey, no," Rahul hurriedly stopped that train right there, "No, Mahi. Trust me you couldn't have seen this coming. Nobody could have, this was a freak show. Not your fault,"
Mahi rubbed his eyes trying to move away from the hug., "Their bodies were going to break down at some point. I had thought about it during the World Cup, I should have taken some action then only. Anyway it's no use crying over spilt milk. I am just tired that's all,".
"Kid, their bodies were breaking down. Not yours. They are responsible for it, they should have managed their work load better. You played the same amount, if not more, than them. You are fine aren't you?" He aborted the other's half hearted attempts to pull away and held on tighter.
"I am the captain though," Mahi whispered, his disappointment with himself evident in his weak protest.
"Yeah, you are the captain Mahi. Not a helicopter babysitter. You can't look after every small detail. I know you think you could have planned better but it was BCCIs job to schedule better, team management's job to be better updated at the condition of the players' bodies, and the boys' job to look after their own bodies. Besides some of those injuries were completely freaky. How the hell did Rohit manage to dislocate his finger batting through gloves? And could anyone have predicted Sachin's stupid big toe would completely rule him out? It's freaky,".
Mahi laughed a little finally leaning into him, "I guess nobody could have seen the great old toe injury coming,".
"Yep. The Great Sachin Tendulkar met his match finally, the great old toe has outdone him," Rahul smiled as Mahi started snickering, "I don't think it's you who is cursed by the way,"
Mahi looked up at him, "Huh? What?"
"On the elevator. You said you think you are cursed. There is a curse. But I don't think it's you," he scooted the kid over so he could also sit down, "It's this country,".
Mahi stared at him dubiously, "England? You think England is cursed?"
Rahul shook his head, "No, no ofcourse not. It's a wonderful country. It's just cursing us,"
"You think England is cursing us?"
He nodded adjusting the blankets over both of them, "Yes. It is,", he looked over to see a wide smile coming onto the kid's face, "What?"
"And you say you are not superstitious," Mahi started snickering again.
"I am not! It is cursing us, just look at the freak show so far, we lost all of our pace attack. We don't have our main pace attack. No pace IN ENGLAND! It's fishy," he tried to explain. Mahi just laughed harder, "What's so funny?"
"You are saying it so seriously too!".
"Because I am serious! It's not funny, it is true!"
"I am telling this to Dada. And Pajji. And Anil Bhai. You can't look down on our superstitions now," Mahi looked like christmas had come early.
Rahul picked up a pillow and smacked him, "Like hell you are. You will keep your mouth shut. Go to sleep,".
"Are you sure the pillow won't curse you for using it like tha-Ow Bhai don't hit me, I am tired!"
"I don't know about the pillow, but I will be cursing you. Go to sleep or I am telling Virat you whine like a baby when you get smacked," Rahul forced him to lie down ignoring the mumbled 'you hit hard'. It took all of a minute for Mahi to drop asleep, as soon as the lights went off, so did he.
It took Rahul much longer. This tour... it had been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. On the high note there were a scant few things, he might have finally conquered Lords but 4-0 was nauseatingly tough to swallow. He had been included in the ODI set-up once again, no doubt due to the lack of players; but it had come three years too late at the back of being the last option so to say. He had been through so many things already in the past few years, he couldn't bring himself to swallow that bitter pill again. So he had thought that it was enough, he had done enough, he didn't want to go back to the fifty over format again. As it is, he had no clue how long he would be able to play Tests, it didn't seem like he could for too long.
But Lord almighty was he second guessing himself. The ODI team looked at the cusp of another overhaul needed and it was not going to be an easy couple years for Mahi. The team wouldn't have realised it, but their captain had. Unbeknownst to them, their captain was standing at a crossroad where everything he will do will be questioned by them themselves. There will be questions, as Mahi would fix their messes, there will be angry questions, hurt questions, that they themselves should hold the answer to. Rahul loved all the boys, specially ones he had seen grow infront of his own eyes. They were all good guys. But he wondered how many of them would stick by their captain unquestioningly. There were scant few who had stood by him after all. It wouldn't be any different for Mahi. It was too late to take back his decision but he wished he could have; for Mahi. So he could stand by his captain the way his kid had stood by him.
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Who wants to guess how much I loveeee Mahi-Jammy XD. I have teeny tiny favoritism towards three pairs ig, Mahi-Jammy, Mahi-Dada and Mahi-Cheeku. It's a disease. Just caught me out of nowhere.
Anyway, this is me wishing Mahi had talked his feelings out with people instead of burying them all 739339 feet under so that they can become oil. Cuz I don't care how cool Captain Cool is, and how high his pain threshold is, at a certain height it stops being impressive and starts looking harmful.