Cricket Ascend System

Chapter 35: Selection Match Day

The school ground looked completely different on selection day.

Organized.

Serious.

Quiet.

No random shouting like Riverside.

No arguments over boundaries.

No kids chasing balls onto rooftops.

This was proper cricket.

White uniforms.

Score sheets.

Teachers watching from chairs near boundary rope.

Even the players behaved differently today.

Because everyone understood one thing.

Today mattered.

Sahil arrived earlier than usual carrying his kitbag silently.

The moment he entered—

he noticed tension everywhere.

Some players stretched nervously.

Others practiced shadow batting repeatedly.

A few senior boys discussed probable squad selections quietly.

Then Sahil noticed something else too.

People were watching him.

Not casually.

Properly.

The "gully six-hitter" reputation had already spread across school camp.

Now everyone wanted to see if it worked in a real match too.

The system appeared briefly.

EVENT STATUS

High-pressure evaluation detected.

Selection Impact: Major

Recommended Focus: ✔ Stay balanced early ✔ Avoid forced acceleration ✔ Respect match tempo

No predicted balls.

No magic guidance.

Only reminders now.

The system had stopped carrying him long ago.

Selection Match

Senior XI vs Trial XI

Format: 20 Overs

Kabir captained Senior XI.

Trial XI captain was Aman.

Sahil batted at number five again.

Middle-order finisher role officially becoming permanent.

Trial XI bowled first.

And honestly?

The seniors looked strong immediately.

Clean batting.

Smart running.

Good communication.

Everything sharper than Riverside cricket.

Still—

Trial XI fought back well.

Aman bowled aggressively.

One spinner grabbed two wickets.

Fielding stayed energetic.

Senior XI finished at:

148/7 in 20 overs.

Good score.

Not impossible.

During innings break—

Coach Verma walked near Sahil briefly.

Only one sentence.

"Don’t chase the game alone."

Then he walked away.

That advice mattered.

Because earlier Sahil always tried winning matches personally.

Now?

He needed to build innings too.

The chase started nervously.

Trial XI lost opener early.

Then another wicket.

After 6 overs:

Trial XI — 41/3

Required: 108 from 84 balls

And Sahil walked in.

Immediately—

field placements shifted deeper.

Even in school cricket now.

That feeling still felt unreal sometimes.

Kabir stood at slip watching carefully.

"Take your time," he said calmly.

Not sledging.

Just observation.

First ball.

Sharp length delivery outside off.

Sahil defended safely.

Second ball.

Good yorker.

Dug out barely.

Third ball.

Slightly shorter.

Instinct screamed pull shot immediately.

But Sahil stopped himself.

Left it alone.

DECISION REVIEW

Positive: ✔ Controlled attacking impulse ✔ Situational patience improved

That tiny notification honestly satisfied him more than boundaries sometimes now.

The next few overs stayed quiet.

Singles.

Defensive shots.

One controlled boundary through point.

Nothing flashy.

And strangely—

Sahil didn’t mind.

Because for the first time—

he understood innings construction properly.

By the 11th over:

Trial XI — 82/4

Needed: 67 from 54 balls

Sahil: 24* (21)

The required rate remained manageable.

Pressure balanced.

Perfect finisher situation.

Then Kabir brought himself into bowling.

Medium pace.

Smart variations.

And immediately—

the atmosphere tightened.

First ball to Sahil.

Slower cutter outside off.

Sahil mistimed badly.

Dot ball.

Kabir smirked slightly.

"Still rushing."

Annoying part?

He was right.

Second ball.

Good length again.

This time Sahil stayed still longer.

Watched carefully.

Then drove straight back past Kabir.

FOUR.

Clean.

The sound echoed sharply across the ground.

Even Coach Verma looked up immediately.

SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE

Connection Quality: 91%

Timing: 89%

Positive: ✔ Exceptional head stability ✔ Perfect contact alignment ✔ Controlled acceleration

For one second—

even Sahil felt it.

That shot felt completely different from power hitting.

No forcing.

No violence.

Just timing.

Pure timing.

And somehow—

it felt even better than sixes.

That straight drive changed something.

Not the score.

The atmosphere.

Because everyone watching understood immediately—

that wasn’t a lucky boundary.

That was a proper cricket shot.

Even Kabir’s expression shifted slightly afterward.

For the first time—

he looked genuinely interested.

Match Situation

Trial XI — 86/4 after 11.2 overs

Target: 149

Needed: 63 from 52 balls

Sahil: 28* (23)

Kabir walked back calmly after his run-up.

But internally—

he had noticed it too.

Sahil’s bat swing looked cleaner now.

More controlled.

Third ball.

Back of length.

Sahil defended softly toward point.

Single.

No crowd screaming here.

No Riverside chaos.

Only claps from teammates near dugout.

And honestly—

that silence created more pressure.

Because every mistake felt visible.

Next over—

Senior XI brought spinner Ritesh into attack.

Tall.

Accurate.

Smart bowler.

Exactly the type Sahil disliked earlier.

Field spread immediately.

Long-on back.

Deep midwicket.

Extra cover wider.

They expected leg-side hitting.

First delivery floated outside off.

Sahil almost dragged across line instinctively.

Stopped halfway.

Then pushed single toward cover instead.

DECISION REVIEW

Positive: ✔ Impulse correction speed improving ✔ Shot discipline maintained under spin

Second ball.

The non-striker got beaten completely.

Dot.

Pressure slowly building again.

Third ball.

Slightly shorter.

This time Sahil rocked back quickly.

CUT.

FOUR.

Not powerful.

Just fast hands.

Placement.

Timing.

Senior players exchanged looks quietly afterward.

Because Sahil wasn’t batting like a pure slogger anymore.

Next ball.

Ritesh slowed pace further.

Tempting fuller delivery.

Earlier Sahil would’ve launched blindly.

Now he checked shot midway.

Two runs only.

Smart cricket.

By the end of 13 overs:

Trial XI — 101/4

Needed: 48 from 42 balls

Sahil: 37* (30)

The chase remained perfectly balanced.

And honestly?

That was where pressure truly began.

Because now every decision mattered.

Kabir returned for another over.

Smart move.

He wanted pressure overs himself.

First ball.

Wide yorker.

Dot.

Excellent bowling.

Second ball.

Slower bouncer.

Sahil nearly hooked instinctively—

then stopped late.

The ball passed safely.

Kabir smiled slightly.

"You really want that shot."

Sahil smirked back faintly.

"Maybe."

Third ball. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Length ball near off stump.

Sahil stepped forward carefully.

Then drove through extra cover again.

FOUR.

This time even the Senior XI fielders reacted quietly.

Because that shot looked repeatable now.

Not accidental.

SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE

Connection Quality: 93%

Timing: 91%

SYSTEM NOTE: High-quality timed connection recorded.

Perfect Timing Pathway Progress: 7 / 1000

Sahil’s heartbeat sped up slightly seeing that.

Only seven.

After all this effort.

This mission truly was insane.

Still—

that small progress felt satisfying.

Because now he finally understood what the system considered "perfect."

Not brute force.

Not distance.

Precision.

Kabir stared at Sahil for a second longer afterward.

Then spoke quietly while walking back.

"You’re improving fast."

Simple words.

But coming from Kabir—

they mattered.

By the 15th over:

Trial XI — 118/4

Needed: 31 from 30 balls

Sahil: 49* (36)

Another half-century close.

But honestly—

Sahil cared more about something else now.

He was surviving pressure properly.

Rotating strike.

Building chase.

Reading bowlers.

Not just swinging harder than everyone.

Actually batting.

Then the system appeared again briefly.

MATCH TEMPERAMENT MISSION

Progress Updated: 41%

Condition Status: No reckless aerial dismissal detected.

For once—

discipline itself was becoming rewarding.