Beating the Odds by Ramendra Kumar
Rajat, a talented left-handed fast bowler and Class VI student at Saint Joseph’s High School,
is a key player on his school’s cricket team. He has been eagerly preparing for the Junior
Inter-School Cricket Championship, where his school hopes to win the prestigious Sterling
Trophy. However, his plans are derailed when he suffers a shoulder injury in an accident.
After examining Rajat’s X-ray, the doctor delivers devastating news: Rajat must avoid
putting any strain on his left arm, which means he can no longer bowl with his left hand.
Since Rajat is a left-handed bowler, this ends his hopes of playing in the championship.
Rajat is heartbroken as he watches his teammate Adnan, now the fastest bowler on the team,
practising at the nets. Just a few weeks ago, Rajat held that title. His coach, Mr. T. Krishnan
(or T.K.), notices Rajat’s frustration and suggests an unconventional solution: switching to
bowling with his right hand and learning leg-spin instead of fast bowling. Rajat is sceptical,
finding it hard to believe he can bowl well enough with his right hand to make it onto the
team. But T.K. insists that Rajat give it a try, reminding him that cricket isn’t just about
technique, but also about having the right temperament.
With some hesitation, Rajat agrees and begins training under T.K.’s guidance. At first,
bowling with his right hand feels awkward, and his early attempts are far from accurate.
However, T.K. encourages him to keep practising, and slowly, Rajat improves. After two
weeks of hard work, he bowls steadily enough to make the team. T.K. devises a plan to use
Rajat as a surprise weapon in the final match of the championship, where none of the
opposing teams would expect his leg-spin.
As T.K. predicted, Saint Joseph’s High School reaches the finals of the championship without
major trouble. In the final match, they face Central School, the reigning champions for the
past three years. After winning the toss, Saint Joseph’s team elects to bat and scores 144 runs
in 30 overs. Central School starts their innings cautiously but soon picks up speed, and by the
15th over, they are at 85 for three wickets. With the match slipping away, Rajat is brought in
to bowl.
Rajat’s first over goes well, and he manages to keep the batsmen from scoring more than two
runs. However, in his second over, he bowls a delivery that Shoeb, Central School’s star
batsman, hits for a six. Rajat gets flustered, and the rest of his over is a disaster, with 16 runs
being scored. Discouraged, Rajat feels that he has let the team down, but T.K. steps in to
calm him down, reminding him to keep his cool and trust in his training.
Given another chance, Rajat bowls brilliantly in his next over, taking two quick wickets,
including one with his well-practised googly. The game comes down to a tense final moment,
with Central School needing just four runs and their top player, Shoeb, back on strike. Rajat
surprises everyone with a slow ball right on the middle stump, which Shoeb mistimes and hits
straight to a fielder. The match ends in victory for Saint Joseph’s High School, and Rajat is
lifted by his teammates in celebration.
In the pavilion, Rajat thanks T.K. for believing in him. T.K. shares his own story of
overcoming injury as a gymnast before becoming a cricketer, inspiring Rajat to always
persevere in the face of adversity.
The story underscores the importance of determination, resilience, and mental strength,
showing how Rajat overcame his injury and adapted to new challenges to achieve victory for
his team.
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