After a week of vacation, everyone of us returned to Wankhede Stadium. My trio of kids greeted me, "Good morning, Dhidhi!", and I replied in kind. GOAT also greeted me, "Morning Tara!", and I replied with a warm "Good morning, GOAT!" he smiled back. Far away from where I was, I heard the unmistakable voice of David. He called out, "Good morning, Tara, can we start?" I replied with a sure and confident "Yes!"
David walked towards me and called the boys to assemble. Everyone gathered before us, and David handed the session over to me.
I started speaking, "Boys, we are back in the stadium after a week of vacation. I'm so happy to welcome you all back!" I said, to which the boys responded with a chorus of cheers and applause. I continue speaking, "Now, let's move on to business. I hope you all remember what we discussed before flying to Sri Lanka. Now it's time for us to review our individual performances. First, let's start with the positives. I'd like to give a special shout-out to Goat for his extraordinary play in Sri Lanka. He was the top run scorer in the Sri Lankan T20 series, and his techniques were top-notch. Next, I'd like to applaud Ajay, our spin master, for taking a five-wicket haul. His strategic thinking and accuracy were key to our success. Next, I'd like to appreciate Adhi; he just made history. He has become the second-most-run scorer on the team after the GOAT, a title long held by a legendary player. I'd also like to praise him for his stamina, as he was able to rotate the strike continuously, which was a great asset to the team. He was also able to hit fours and sixes with ease."
Next, I'd like to move on to areas to improve. I said, "Ajay, your wicket-taking ability is amazing, but you should focus more on maintaining economy. You are giving away too many runs on short balls. That's something you need to work on. Adhi, what you are doing is amazing. But you need to improve your techniques so your energy is not wasted too much. GOAT, you have a lower scoring rate against short balls. That's something you need to work on. You have the potential to be even better, so I urge you to focus on this area of your game."
After I gave my feedback, David came back and said, "Boys, you should have heard your feedback. Don't consider it a blocker, but see this as a stepping stone. You can use this feedback to make your game even better. Take it as an opportunity to learn and grow." He asked the boys if they were ready to put in the hard work and dedication necessary to make the goal a reality. Without hesitation, they all replied in unison, "Yes, Coach!" Their enthusiasm and positive attitude were infectious, and I felt motivated too. I wanted to do my best to help the team reach its goal.
David ordered the boys to disperse back to their regular practice routine. Everyone was in high spirits, and the boys were eager to get back to work. I watched as they returned to their drills with a renewed determination to make our goal a reality. I was filled with a sense of pride and admiration for the boys and their coach. We all knew that hard work and dedication were the keys to success. With David's guidance and the boys' positive attitude, I was sure that we would reach our goal and win championships.
David and I took a stroll along the boundary rope, discussing our upcoming ODI series with Australia. India was hosting a 3-match ODI series, and we knew it was going to be a tough test of our skill and stamina. "We need to work on all the points you mentioned," David said. "What we had in the Sri Lankan tour was T20, but this time with Australia is an ODI. It's going to be a much different challenge." I nodded in agreement.
From the next day on, I could see that all the boys were practicing vigorously and getting ready for the series against Australia. GOAT was working extra hard on short balls, as they knew that Australia was good at bowling short balls. Ajay was working on controlling his economy, Adhi was honing his technique to hit the ball, and Zahiri was strengthening his abs. GOAT was also helping out his teammates with whatever they needed, and David was leading them as their coach. I was part of the team, and I was doing whatever I could to help. I was proud to be part of such a dedicated team.
1 month later,
The ODI series between Australia and India ended in a draw, with both teams playing well. GOAT had a particularly outstanding performance. His short ball-hitting skills improved, and the team as a whole looked confident and ready to take on the challenge. Adhi had an average performance. His technique was not up to par, and he seemed to be lacking energy in the middle of the match. His hitting energy reduced in the middle overs, leading to his getting out in all three games after getting a good start. Despite Adhi's performance, the team put in a decent effort, and the series ended in a draw.
Our next tournament was the Championship Trophy. The tournament was due to take place in England in the month of September, which gave us a three-month window to prepare. The expectations for the Indian cricket team were sky-high. Everyone was counting on them to bring home the Champions Trophy this year. The team had some of the biggest names in the game, and everyone was sure that they would be the ones to take home the trophy.Mr. Patel, the BCCI board member, knew that the pressure on the players was immense, and he wanted to make sure that the team was able to focus on the game without any distractions. He decided to arrange for a closed practice session for the team for three months. Mr. David, the team's coach, was in charge of drawing up the practice schedule. He made sure that the team was able to practice hard and focus on the game without any distractions. The team followed the schedule to the letter, and all of them worked hard to make sure that they were in top form for the tournament. The team was able to bond with each other and build a strong camaraderie. They were focused and determined to bring home the trophy.