Rishabh's appeal on Jassi's potential hattrick ball rang out wildly. All the slip fielders including the captain, vice captain and some others like Puji and Mayank joined in nearly as wildly. Only the bowler didn't.
Jassi thought there was bat on it.
"No bat on it!" yelled more than one voice.
Virat rushed to Jassi, all charged up. Jassi shook his head frantically.
"It was bat, Virat bhaiya," he said earnestly.
What an idiot.
I'm not going to let him pass on the chance of a Test hattrick even if he wants to, himself.
"It didn't hit the bat!" roared Virat forcefully.
"It did--" began Jassi, but Virat coolly ignored him and signalled for the DRS.
Jassi stared at him helplessly as the entire team gathered around him.
So when the Ultra edge showed the absence of bat on it, Jassi's eyes widened in disbelief. He had actually taken a Test hattrick!
Amidst the defeaning roar of the Indians in the crowd, Jassi turned to look at his captain and found him in the process of leaping about 3 feet in the air, his fist pumping the air and his face alight with triumph.
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Jassi grinned at Virat bhaiya's delight when he gave him a fierce hug. All the others followed suit.
"What a bowler, man. What a bowler," Virat muttered to Jinks fervently, and Jassi felt himself going red with surprise and pleasure as he overhead his captain's words.
All through the rest of the day's play, Virat bhaiya would keep catching Jassi's eyes and grin proudly, and Jassi would grin back, delighted.
___________
Yuzi wasn't in the team, so after Rohit during the 1st Test, Virat took over interviewing for BCCI.tv after that day's play ended.
Jassi admitted why he hadn't appealed, and ended with saying in a heart warmingly sincere way, "So I owe that hattrick to the captain," and he patted Virat bhaiya on the back as Virat roared with laughter.
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Most of the time Virat bhaiya seemed like a friend, in spite of their age difference.
Like when they went to the gym together (since the two of them were the biggest fitness freaks in the team).
Or like when Virat bhaiya demanded that he be allowed to bowl, and Jassi didn't think twice before shouting, "No joking around, it's an international match!" And Virat looked chastened and never demanded the ball since.
But in spite of Virat bhaiya behaving like someone their age, there was something about him that Jassi couldn't help worshipping blindly.
Maybe it was because no one could motivate a downhearted youngster better than Virat bhaiya could.
Maybe because no one else got as happy as Virat bhaiya when any of his team members player well.
Maybe it was because when Jassi got Virat out in IPL 2019's MI vs RCB, the look on Virat's face wasn't pure disappointment; there seemed to be something like pride in it, too. And then he said in the Presentation, "It was my mistake, I shouldn't have tried to take Jassi on. I mean, he's a world class bowler. And if Jassi is in good form, it's good for India."
Or maybe it was just because he was Virat bhaiya.
How can you not worship someone like Virat bhaiya?
A/N: I just can't get enough of that interview of Virat and Jassi!
