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Class 8: Chapter - 1: Beating the Odds by Ramendra Kumar (Summary)

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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