Virat sat on the balcony in the Lords, clearly dejected by his performance, Siraj and Jassi stood there, observing him.
They looked at each other, confirming that the other was thinking the same. Siraj whispered to Jassi, "Do you think that Virat Bhaiya is thinking what I am thinking?"
Jassi nodded solemnly and said quietly, "He is upset that we are going to lose the match because of his performance."
"But why does he always believe that everything is somehow his fault? It's not like he got out on a duck, twenty runs is still a contribution to the score!"
Jassi frowned. "Try explaining that to him."
Their worry only increased when Jinks got out.
They had to do something.
***************
The next day, when Jassi stepped out to bat as Ishant got out, it was clearly evident that they weren't in a position to win. They had to somehow draw the match.
Virat wished him luck and said with a chuckle, "Try not to come back too early Jassi, we have to at least draw the match."
Jassi observed as Virat tried to mask his pain and fear of losing into a smile. So he said determinedly, "We're going to win this one, Bhaiya."
Virat stared at Jassi as he walked off, with a fond smile on his face.
***************
"Let's play defence, we have to bat out in this session as long as we can", said Shami as they met between the overs.
"No, Bhaiya, we have to go for the win. We have to play attacking", said Jassi.
Buttler overheard him.
He said tauntingly, "What did you say? You want to win from here?"
Jassi counted one to ten to keep his calm as Buttler said snidely again, "Is that what your captain teaches you? Well, he himself couldn't get any runs more than twenty, could he?"
Jassi was positively fuming as he strode over to Jos.
***************
"WHAT IS HE SAYING TO JASSI?" shouted Virat. "IS HE SLEDGING HIM? HOW DARE HE SLEDGE JASSI?"
Jinks shushed him from behind. "Sit down, Virat. It's not like you can jump to the middle of the field to save him!"
Rohit snorted beside him. "Believe me, he would have, if the umpires hadn't intervened."
"Yes, I would", said Virat promptly as he sat staring at Jassi.
Jinks shook his head muttering, "You're impossible."
"Look Virat, Jassi is not a child. He has to learn to face these things and handle them", Rohit explained.
"But he is my kid", exclaimed Virat.
"He was mine before yours."
Virat didn't have a counter statement to that, so he slumped down and resumed watching the match.
A few balls later, when Jassi hit Mark Wood for a four, the entire team stood on their feet to applaud him, with Virat probably the loudest. He cursed loudly and looked so animated as if he could jump off the balcony any moment.
Rohit quietly rolled his eyes at his antics.
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***************
"They are doing it on purpose", yelled Virat, when the bowlers continued delivering short balls.
As Wood's ball hit Jassi on the head, Virat gritted his teeth furiously.
"They are not going to get away with this", he said angrily, challenging Jinks and Rohit to try stopping him this time.
But Jinks and Rohit had a mad glint in their eyes too as the entire team agreed with him.
***************
Shami and Jassi were welcomed back with proud smiles and hearty claps on the back when they returned back for lunch. They had brought India back into the game with their impressive batting and had clearly left England on backfoot, leaving them under tremendous pressure.
After the grand welcome, they had received, Virat tentatively approached Jassi and asked concernedly, "Are you okay, kiddo?"
Jassi smiled at his Virat Bhaiya. "Of course I am, Bhaiya. It's you, who made us so strong, so how can I not be okay?" he said innocently.
Virat felt himself tearing up at his big kiddo (yes, he will always be a child to him, no matter what Rohit said) so Jassi grinned and said cheerfully, "Come on, Bhaiya, we have a game to win", and he sauntered off to Siraj.
Virat felt overwhelming as his Rohit came beside him.
"Told you so. My kid can handle this", he said with a sense of pride in his voice.
"Yeah, he has grown so much", Virat said affectionately as they watched him discussing bowling tactics with Siraj.
"Wait, did you say him as your kid?" asked Virat incredulously, turning to Rohit.
"Yes, I did, 'cause he is my kid first kid", smirked Rohit.
"Why do you always have to gloat on that?"
And they continued till Jinks interrupted them, saying, "Will you both stop your nonsense and focus on the match please?"
***************
Virat and team looked livid when they came down to field. Every single wicket was celebrated so wildly as England started bundling up. They had given befittingly replies back to the England players for the incidents that morning, giving them a taste of their own medicine, who now looked helpless as they were trying to save a lost game.
And finally, when Siraj bowled out Anderson, the entire team roared with joy. Siraj dashed off with the stump and Jassi pumped his fist into the air, as they all jumped on each other.
"Together everyone achieves more" was portrayed by them as each one of the eleven contributed. Be it Rohit-Rahul's opening partnership that set the base or Pujji and Jinks who carried it in the second innings or Virat's 42 runs and his partnership with Rahul or Shami and Jassi's all-round performance or Ishant and Siraj being terrific with the ball or Rishabh's keeping and Jaddu's fielding.
Each one of them had created a history of their own.
Each one of them stood together shoulder to shoulder.
And each of the rest ten guys stood proudly, beaming when Rahul said-
"If you go at one of our guys, all eleven of us will come back at you."
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A/N: I cannot describe how elated and overjoyed I felt when we won. I couldn't watch it live, but I had my Cricbuzz open and believe me, Jassi and I had the same reaction. I don't think it's impossible to believe in miracles anymore; 'cause this team is capable of many.
