A Good Ball

I was looking through the grill of my helmet at the bowler, who was grinning at me with cruel eyes, his forehead scorched by the March sun of Chennai. The thigh guard I wore was covering a ligament tear, and the pads were protecting the numerous blood cots in my legs which occurred in the recent matches.
I was trained by my coach to stand the first ten overs of the match, which obviously had the fastest balls targeted to break the stumps, but they often take your abdomen and chest as alternative targets! I stood there nervous; my legs trembling as the bowler look his run up. I remembered the way I was sledging while we were fielding and how successful I was in irritating them. I was sure that their primary target was me, they swore to god to give it back to me when they entered the field for chasing. I had faced 9 overs already, successfully and proved myself worthy. I had done my job. As the bowler’s foot hit the crease and the supersonic ballistic interwicket missile was launched it swung wider than i thought it would, as i positioned my bat for a drive to the mid on, I saw the ball smiling at me, half a inch away from my bat and disappeared, I heard a cracking noise from the stumps behind me. I was bowled out. I walked with my head down gazing at the grass below sure was not trying to look at anything. As I approached the dressing room, the members of my team did not utter a word; normally they would blast the shit out of the batsmen who get bowled. I knew it was coming, i was prepared for such pace and precision, but wasn't quiet sure how to handle it.
As the others were cheering the new batsman who jogged his way to the pitch I was sitting there in silence, the replay was running in my mind constantly, the expectation, the ball, the way it went by smiling at me.. I had infinite empty boxes filling my mind , choking my ability to think, i felt a hand on my shoulder. It was my coach. He gestured me to come for a walk with him, and so i did.
As I was walking beside him with my head tilted down, ‘So’ he said with a smile, ‘did you see it coming?’ He asked. He somehow knew I was expecting a good ball from the tired yet determined bowler, I remained quiet. “It was a splendid inswing” he said breaking the silence, “it was a beautiful ball showkath, Nothing can be done about it” he continued as my eyes looked up. “You could have defended it, but I don’t think you wanted to” his words stunned me, “Yes”,I began thinking to myself “I stood there for long, I knew I couldn’t play it further , I had already started wasting overs, I knew I will not be able to do justice if I had stood there any longer, this is how far I could have come” He spoke exactly what was running in my mind.“It wasn’t a stupid high catch or a run out” he continued "which could have made you looked like a fool, “It was a good ball” he reassured me.” A very good ball indeed, You should be fortunate that you got out on a good ball, not every player would be this fortunate, they only lose my making mistakes, you should be happy” He said. I was normal now, I needed that so badly. I was shattered, I needed those words to gather myself. It definitely was a good ball, and I am fortunate, very fortunate than most of the other guys who played this sport. I had done my part, I did my job and it was time to go. I was happy that my dismissal did not put me in shame because everybody was talking about the ball and praising the inswing, and less about me. I heard the crowd cheer outside, it was the the happy voices of my team members…We Won!

It was a graceful end, I got up and walked out to the field with a smile on my face to join the celebration with three things in my mind

“I did my part well, it was a good ball and this is the best way it could have ended”

… for me.. and for all of us.

I am not talking only about cricket...