This was it.
The captain walked slowly toward the bowler, hand on his cap, eyes scanning the field like a man searching for a miracle.
He made his choice.
Spin again.
A collective murmur swept through the stadium.
Action Anand (Surprised):
"Whoa! This is bold… very bold! Going back to spin at this stage—Mumbai is rolling the dice!"
The left-arm spinner returned, wiping his palms on his trousers, face unreadable.
But his eyes betrayed him.
He knew.
One bad over here, and the match was gone.
Rudra noticed everything.
The tightened jaw.
The slightly shorter run-up.
The hesitation before marking the crease.
Rudra (Thinking):
Fear doesn't always rush you.
Sometimes, it slows you down.
Scoreboard:
Required: 30 runs off 30 balls
Wickets: 3 in hand
The field was spread—but not fully.
A temptation.
Dr. V.V. Subramanium:
"The margin is thin here. One mistake… but one moment of brilliance could seal it."
Rudra took guard.
Still.
Centered.
Breathing steady.
Over 39.1
The spinner tossed it up—too full.
For a split second, time slowed.
Rudra stepped out.
Not charging blindly.
Measured. Balanced.
The bat came down in a clean arc.
THWACK.
The ball sailed high… straight… long.
Six.
The stadium detonated.
Sher Shrivastava (Screaming):
"BAAAAAP RE! Yeh toh seedha himmat pe vaar hai! Chakka! Chakka! Chakka!"
Action Anand:
"FIRST BALL SIX! He's taken the gamble and turned it into gold!"
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
🟢 [Power Timing] EXP +80
🟢 [Confidence Aura] Passive Effect Activated
The spinner froze.
The fielders exchanged looks.
The captain swore under his breath.
Rudra didn't look at the stands.
He didn't look at the bowler.
He looked at the pitch.
Rudra (Thinking):
One shot breaks plans.
Consistency breaks opponents.
Over 39.2
The spinner dragged it shorter, wider.
Rudra stayed back and cut late, threading it between backward point and cover.
Four.
The noise rose another level.
Major Rathore (Grudging):
"That… was not arrogance. That was calculation."
SYSTEM UPDATE:
🟢 [Batting – Spin Handling] EXP +45
🟢 [Match Awareness] EXP +35
Over 39.3
The spinner tried to slow it down further.
Too slow.
Rudra waited.
And waited.
Then nudged it softly into the gap.
Two runs.
No drama.
Just damage.
Scoreboard Update:
Required: 18 runs off 27 balls.
Mumbai panicked.
A fielder was pulled in.
Another pushed back.
Confusion crept into their formation.
Dr. Subramanium:
"This is the hallmark of control. Rudra is not reacting to the field—he is forcing the field to react to him."
Over 39.4
The spinner finally found a good length.
Rudra defended.
Dot ball.
The crowd groaned.
Rudra raised his bat slightly.
A signal.
Relax.
Over 39.5
Another flighted delivery.
Rudra stepped across and swept—along the ground, clean as a whistle.
Four.
The captain threw his hands up.
Sher Shrivastava (Laughing uncontrollably):
"Arre bhai! Yeh over toh Mumbai ke liye bura sapna ban gaya!"
SYSTEM UPDATE:
🟢 [Mental Fortitude] EXP +50
🟢 [Crowd Influence] LVL 1 Unlocked
Over 39.6
Last ball.
The spinner looked exhausted.
He bowled it flatter.
Safer.
Rudra pushed it to long-on.
One run.
Over finished.
Scoreboard:
Required: 13 runs off 24 balls.
The match had tilted.
No—
It had fallen.
Rudra walked down the pitch, tapping gloves with his partner.
Calm.
Certain.
Rudra (Thinking):
This is no longer about winning.
This is about finishing properly.
The crowd chanted his name now.
Not because he was a prodigy.
Because he was dependable.
Action Anand (Emotional):
"Ladies and gentlemen… this doesn't feel like a junior match anymore."
Rudra took guard again as the next bowler prepared.
The finish line was right there.
And he intended to cross it standing tall.
End of Chapter 45
Next Chapter:
🏆 Chapter 46: The Calm Before the Final Stroke
—With victory in sight, one final test of patience awaits, and greatness demands composure till the very last ball.