Delivering the first ball of the second over, a sharp bouncer aimed short. Heber instinctively ducked as Emaad collected the ball behind the stumps. Wasif smiled as he retreated to his mark, while Heber stood up, swallowing nervously. "He's throwing red flags everywhere," he muttered under his breath.
The second ball, a full toss, Heber managed to defend it with a front foot shot. Wasif casually walked back again. As Wasif prepared for the next delivery, an outswinger, Heber whispered, "Joker Cage."
Instantly, Wasif's surroundings shifted to a circus room, disorienting him. Heber took advantage, pulling the ball towards cover and immediately setting off for a run.
The illusion dissolved as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Wasif confused, but Heber had already crossed to the non-striker's end, his expression serious.
"Haha, wow! What was that?" Wasif asked, intrigued, but Heber, narrowing his gaze, remained silent.
Wasif smirked, heading back once more. "It's okay~ I'll figure it out soon enough," he said with a hint of resolve, leaving Heber on high alert.
Aigou, now on strike, surveyed the field before tapping his bat on the crease. Wasif, sprinting through the inner circle, stepped onto the popping crease with a confident smile. As the ball left his hand, he whispered, "Piercing Arrow."
A gust of sharp wind accompanied the short ball. Aigou's eyes widened in excitement as he stepped out of his crease, raising his bat high. With a powerful swing, he sent the ball soaring over deep extra cover for a massive six.
The fielders could only watch as the ball flew into the stands, and the crowd erupted in cheers. "Yes!" Karachi's pavilion roared.
"What a shot! Aigou Mir Yuaan has absolutely blasted that one over deep extra cover! The ball rockets into the night sky and lands deep in the stands—the first six of the run chase!" Maaz exclaimed.
Aigou grinned, his hair glinting like rubies under the floodlights. His hand however quivered. "Heh~ was it what I think I was?" he thought glancing at Wasif who caught the ball from Rovan.
Heber swallowed, feeling a surge of excitement. "That was… awesome," he thought.
Wasif returned to his mark, his expression unreadable. The penultimate delivery, aimed at the stumps, Aigou executed a cover drive, immediately calling for a run. "Run, Heber!" he shouted.
Heber, confused to see Venus in position, hesitated. "But…!" he started to protest.
"Just run!" Aigou had already covered half the distance.
Venus seized the opportunity and hurled the ball to Emaad for a run-out attempt. Heber, eyes wide, whispered, "Triple 'L' movement 2: Life Surge!" and found himself safely at the striker's end, his heart pounding. The bails had been dislodged, and the on-field umpire called for a review.
"Are you crazy?! This isn't the time to be playing around!" Heber turned around and snapped annoyed at Aigou, who was stifling his laughter at the non-striker's end.
The big screen displayed 'Not Out'.
"Ugh! I should've aimed for him instead!" Venus shrieked, frustrated at his second missed opportunity to take Aigou's wicket.
Aigou grinned at Wasif and Venus, his gaze challenging. "That's right. You should've gone for my wicket," he taunted, causing the two to frown. Aigou then turned to Heber, smiling warmly. Raising his bat, he pointed towards the sky. "That's the level of trust I have in you, Heber Bin Saad. And what's that level?" he asked.
Heber blinked, stunned and unsure how to respond.
"The sky," Aigou declared, "So stop hesitating and show some spirit, boy!"
Heber gasped, then exhaled with a smile. "How could I forget? Our seniors don't worry about the field or the bowler. To them, it's just cricket," he thought, feeling suddenly confident.
Wasif grinned as he retreated. "I see," he mused, returning to his mark.
The second over ending with a dot ball, Karachi had accumulated 14 runs at no loss.
"Ah, that hits the spot. Thanks, Alan," Aigou said as he took a sip of the energy drink before wiping his hair with a towel and adjusting his helmet once more.
Alan smiled as he took the drink back.
Heber, wiping his face, let out a sigh.
"What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost," Elias remarked.
Heber raised an eyebrow, retorting, "When your esteemed partner almost gets you out twice in one over, of course, you'd see the ghost of stupidity and embarrassment."
Alan and Aigou couldn't help but chuckle at Heber's comment.
"Come on, Mr. Joker. It's way too early to start complaining. You're not even out," Aigou said, heading toward the striker's end.
Heber frowned in disbelief. "I'm not sure if I can keep up with him for the next powerplay, especially with those two bowlers. Their stares put all my senses on high alert," he worried aloud.
"Don't overthink it, Heber. Aigou knows exactly what he's doing," Elias reassured him, "We've got a massive target ahead, and he knows that dot balls will cost us dearly. Thanks to your Triple 'L' movement, you can easily get past that challenge. As for hitting out of the box, he's going for big shots because he knows we need to keep the scoreboard ticking."
As Heber realized Aigou's strategy, he mused, "So that's it… He wasn't just playing around. We're at a disadvantage, but he had it all planned."
Grabbing his bat, Heber followed Aigou to the crease. "Thanks, Elias, Alan. It all makes sense now," he said with a smile.
"Haiz, a joker and an actor. I wonder how this will unfold?" Alan mused.
"Exciting, I believe," Elias responded as they made their way back.
Juhan, taking the third over, tossed the ball in the air before catching it again, preparing to bowl. As he rushed toward the popping crease, he whispered, "Cyclone Spiral!"
The ball, enveloped in a swirling wind vortex, zoomed toward Aigou. Upon hitting the pitch, the natural swing intensified, causing a wild deviation.
"It's that same delivery again," Aigou noted, quickly adapting as he countered with a flick shot toward mid-wicket, where Azam caught the ball, halting its momentum. Juhan returned to his position, visibly irritated.
The wind picked up suddenly, catching Aigou's attention. "Ah, we've finally made them annoyed," he thought, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
As Juhan ran through the 30-inch circle, he shortened his steps and increased his speed. Upon releasing the ball, he coldly whispered, "Gale force."
The wind behind the ball amplified its speed and swing, making it harder for Aigou to track. Trying to defend with a front foot block, Aigou was caught off guard when the ball suddenly swung towards his face. "Shi…!" he exclaimed as he attempted to evade, but the ball struck his face guard, causing him to stumble backward.
"Senior Aigou, watch out!" Heber shouted.
Aigou, responding to the warning, dropped to one knee inside the crease to avoid losing his wicket, his head spinning.
"Oh!!" the crowd gasped.
Haitam, Maria, and Zain looked on, worried. Hamit and Romeo exchanged stern glances. The umpire immediately gestured for a five-minute timeout, prompting Heber to leave his bat and rush over to Aigou.
Rovan and Ibn Sena joined him, followed by Elias, who entered the boundary with a concerned look, while Rauf narrowed his gaze. Adam too stared at Aigou anxiously. Orion and Seles quickly approached alongside Evan, Isa, and Xavier. Alan watched from the pavilion, filled with concern.
"He's going to be alright, right?" Azazel asked, anxiety creeping into his voice.
"Of course," Kazuna replied, sounding slightly nervous himself.
"Senior Aigou! Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?" Heber questioned as Aigou removed his helmet, panting heavily.
Seles placed a reassuring hand on Heber's shoulder. "Don't panic; let me check him," he said. Kneeling before Aigou, he gently lifted his chin, noting the swelling.
"Ow, m-y jaw," Aigou winced, his right jaw red and swollen.
Seles quickly applied a cold pack and asked, "Should we retire?"
Aigou's eyes widened in protest, and he pushed Seles's hand aside. "Never," he declared defiantly.
Seles sighed in concern, "But you can't even speak properly…"
Aigou ignoring him, stood up with Orion's help. "Heh~ should I perform an operation then? A bloodbath?" Orion teased.
"This isn't funny, Orion." Evan scolded.
Aigou grabbed his helmet again but hissed in pain as he tried to put it on. Nevertheless, he persisted, setting the helmet aside again, picking up his bat, and heading back to the crease.
"I apologize," Juhan said, guilt lacing his voice.
"D-don't…" Aigou managed to respond through the pain.
Rovan patted his back, apologetic himself.
Seles shook his head, speechless, as he retrieved a pain-relief spray and approached Aigou. He turned Aigou around, kneeling to apply the spray. Sensing Seles's concern yet his gaze irritated, Aigou averted his gaze. After a minute or two, feeling slightly better, Aigou donned his helmet again while Seles returned to the pavilion.