Section 5 Sixing Life

The coconut trees beckoned Suraj. The gap was calling him. Some extra light was coming out of it. All others got blurred. He kept the bat standing with its handle resting on his underbelly, with both hands clasped, giving it a slight support. He went on looking towards the gap. Fielders waited. The bowler waited.

Avinash was the bowler. There was a little healthy argument about who is to bowl Suraj. Naushad laughingly wanted to bowl him. Laughter came out from Avinash as well, "No, no, I will bowl." Who spares a scapegoat? It's always fun to bowl somebody out.

So it was Avinash. Suraj stood with his legs guarding the leg stump, a wrong stance that he developed in his childhood. He believed no ball could touch his legs, that he could manage. So he couldn't get out by LBW (Leg Before Wicket). His legs were a little apart. He successfully blocked three balls. They were of good line and length. His front (left) foot moved forward at the last moment. Then came the fourth ball.

His foot extended to the right distance. The lifted bat came down straight. It contacted the ball at its heaviest part, a lower part where there is most wood. To what Suraj seemed slow, the bat without any vibration got up after hitting the ball. The ball went up, then it came down, and passed right though the middle of the coconut trees, just under their leaves. A smooth six!

"What have you done! He has hit a six!" Naushad laughed. Avinash's lips were wide apart. He looked at Suraj. Suraj has gone to a different state.