Let’s return to December 2016. Ravichandran Ashwin had simply watched Chennai 28 II, for the primary time. Sequel of the 2007 Venkat Prabhu directorial based mostly on friendship set in opposition to the backdrop of gully cricket. In awe of it, the all-rounder tweeted, “What a wonderful movie ‘Chennai 28 II’. Completely put my life on rewind mode. Genuinely felt I could have been a part of it.”
Little did he know six years later, he would produce a dwell sequel of the film that touched him, nearly coaxing Mohammed Nawaz into bowling a large, and finally main India’s end within the T20 World Cup thriller in opposition to Pakistan.
Venkat Prabhu couldn’t resist. “Lucky us,” he tweeted, tagging Ashwin in a social media put up alongside a 5 second scene from his 2007 film.
In it, actor Ranjith’s character (Imran) is seen taking guard on strike over the last over of a cricket match. With 5 wanted off 5 balls and simply two wickets in arms. As the bowler releases the second supply of the over, Imran strikes from outdoors the leg stump to inside, rendering the ball extensive and incomes an additional run.
In Chennai and in Tamil Nadu, they adore their cinema. Ashwin’s love for cinema is commonly expressed by means of his social media self. And so, it was solely becoming that he picked certainly one of his all time favourite films and enacted a scene off it in entrance of some 90,000 plus on the MCG and hundreds of thousands extra watching elsewhere.
Hardik Pandya hadn’t been capable of shut the sport within the final over. Dinesh Karthik, the designated finisher, had fallen for the lure and walked again off a stumping only a supply again. Virat Kohli, the face of the chase had given his all and it was out of his immortal arms now. In got here Ravichandra Ashwin.
Only three hours in the past, his inclusion over Yuzvendra Chahal had been the speaking level of India’s taking part in XI on the MCG. The 36-year-old had marked his comeback into India’s white ball staff solely final 12 months after a four-year hiatus. In his spell of three overs earlier, Ashwin had remained wicketless. But right here he was, approaching to bat at a very powerful juncture of India’s 2022 T20 World Cup opener in opposition to Pakistan. All that had passed by in India’s favor within the tie would’ve resulted in a dropping trigger. Virat would have skilled Sachin’s sinking feeling in Chennai Test in opposition to Pakistan. With that insurmountable seeming strain, Ashwin took the guard in opposition to left arm spinner turned medium pacer Mohammed Nawaz.
Since his return to India’s T20 blues, Ashwin had solely batted a complete of 27 deliveries. He had procured a 4 and two sixes however none at a floor this massive. But right here he was. Now all set to face that final ball, or because it was purported to be.
Hit the Hotstar app to look at that ball now, if you want. It is clear from his foot motion pre-delivery that Ashwin knew precisely what Nawaz was going to do. The vice-versa, not a lot. Nawaz or most different bowlers would’ve positioned their guess on the decrease order batter having a go on the ball, making an attempt to maneuver area by transferring to both facet of the stump. Just because the Pakistan left arm orthodox raised his arm to launch the supply, Ashwin transferred his weight to the backfoot. And simply because the ball moved in the direction of its vacation spot, he made his method deep inside his crease, nonchalantly watching the ball go down leg stump as if he had no enterprise to do with it. Umpire Rod Tucker signalled extensive because the blue within the MCG popped.
Virat Kohli, who stood on the different finish, had defied cricket physics legal guidelines to fabricate photographs that bought the gang bouncing. All Ashwin did was go away the ball. Just like that. Perhaps the best go away within the historical past of a format the place the batter is requested to go after each ball.
Imagine leaving a ball, in a match of this magnitude, in opposition to your arch rivals, with that many individuals within the stands, with a lot driving on the consequence, and in a T20 World Cup match. Imagine doing that with a touch of what would occur should you fail. Audacity by no means felt extra audacious.
He watched all the best way as Nawaz darted that supply down the leg facet and didn’t transfer a muscle of his that had a job in transferring his bat. This wasn’t Sydney 2021. No Hanuma Vihari stood on the non-striker’s finish. No one blabbering in his ear from behind the stumps. No pacer focused his physique. And but, he left it with as a lot saint-like peace as he did in the course of the last session of that Test match not that way back. And then, he adopted it with a relaxed loft over mid off for….effectively, who cared? India had crushed Pakistan in a ‘what the hell just happened’ T20 World Cup basic on the massive G.
And whereas the blues inside the 90,000 plus crowd chanted ‘Kohli’, it wouldn’t have been if not for the envy of a monk, who ran along with his bat up on the different finish. That final shot of his could have counted as the one run he scored off the one legit ball he performed that night time. But as years go by and nostalgia units in, accompanying just a few dozen photographs can be that one go away off an illegitimate supply.
Maybe it was his genius. Maybe it was his love for Tamil cinema. Maybe it was each.
Shortly after he had shared his ideas again in 2016, Director Prabhu had responded by stating that the then ICC Cricketer of the Year nearly made it into the movie.
“We actually wanted him to play a small cameo in this part but it didn’t materialize as he was busy with his cricketing commitments. If a part three of the film happens in the future, we will surely rope him in.”
Six years later we will safely affirm, the film did effectively.