Cricket Ascend System

Chapter 7: Chase

Sameer bounced the ball once against the cement slowly.

His face remained calm.

But inside—

his thoughts were changing rapidly.

Sahil wasn’t batting like a normal gully player anymore.

Not because of technique.

Technique was still rough.

Messy.

Unstable.

But his adaptation speed...

that was terrifying.

Shastri Strikers — 85/7 (12.3 Overs)

Required: 65 Runs from 21 Balls

Sahil Choudhary — 48 (14)

Keshav — 5 (10)

The entire gully knew what was happening now.

The impossible chase—

was alive.

Children sat forward on scooters.

Balcony aunties stopped pretending to hang clothes.

Even shopkeepers abandoned customers.

Because suddenly—

Riverside Gully cricket had become serious.

Sameer adjusted the field again.

This time he pulled deep point wider.

Fine leg back.

Mid-off straighter.

He was studying Sahil carefully now.

Not mocking him anymore.

Reading him.

Fourth ball.

Slower pace.

Wide outside off.

Sahil reached again—

But stopped midway.

He withdrew the shot.

Wide ball.

The lane reacted instantly.

"Arre wah!"

"He left that?!"

"Since when does Sahil judge wides?"

Even Ravi looked stunned.

Because old Sahil swung at literally everything.

SYSTEM OBSERVATION

Positive Development Detected: ✔ Impulse control improving ✔ Shot discipline increased

Mental Growth: Pressure panic reducing.

Sahil’s eyes widened slightly.

The system wasn’t only tracking cricket skills.

It was tracking mentality too.

Score Update

Shastri Strikers — 86/7

Required: 64 Runs from 21 Balls

Sameer clicked his tongue softly.

Now he was irritated.

Not because Sahil was hitting boundaries.

Because Sahil was thinking.

That made things dangerous.

Fifth ball. freёwebnoѵel.com

Perfect yorker.

Fast.

Sharp.

Tailoring into leg stump.

Sahil reacted late.

His bat jammed downward awkwardly—

THICK INSIDE EDGE.

The ball raced behind square leg.

FOUR.

The entire lane exploded laughing.

"No way!"

"He’s farming luck today!"

Sameer stared upward toward the sky like the universe itself was trolling him.

SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE

Connection Quality: 11%

Timing: 8%

Positive: ✔ Improved reaction attempt

Weaknesses: ✘ Bat swing delayed ✘ Front foot trapped ✘ Poor reading of release point

Outcome Cause: Extreme bat speed + strong wrists.

Current Power Rating: 70

Technical Efficiency: Very Low

Sahil swallowed hard.

Even now—

his technique remained terrible.

The system kept reminding him repeatedly.

He was surviving through raw power.

Not proper batting.

Final ball of the over.

Sameer slowed everything down.

The entire gully became quiet.

Everyone sensed something coming.

Sahil watched carefully this time.

No rushing.

No blind swinging.

The ball landed slightly short outside off.

Sahil stepped back instinctively.

Swing.

CRACK.

The sound stunned the lane instantly.

Not loud.

Clean.

Pure.

The ball flew between extra cover and long-off like a bullet.

FOUR.

No edge.

No luck.

Middle of the bat.

Silence.

Then chaos.

"SHOTTTTT!"

"That was class!"

"He timed that!"

"SAHIL?!"

Even Sameer froze briefly.

Because he knew cricket.

And that shot—

that shot did not belong to a bad player.

SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE

Connection Quality: 89%

Timing: 81%

Balance: Stable

Head Position: Improved

Bat Path: Clean

Positive: ✔ Excellent transfer of weight ✔ Proper downswing alignment ✔ Eyes remained on impact zone

Conclusion: Host successfully applied previous feedback subconsciously.

For the first time since the system appeared—

Sahil smiled confidently.

Not nervously.

Not awkwardly.

Confidently.

Because that shot felt different.

He hadn’t just swung hard.

He’d actually batted.

End of Over 12

Shastri Strikers — 94/7

Required: 56 Runs from 18 Balls

Sahil Choudhary — 56 (16)

Keshav — 5 (10)

Fifty.

Sahil Choudhary had reached fifty.

In Riverside Gully.

Against Sameer Malik’s team.

While chasing 150.

The same Sahil people laughed at an hour earlier.

Ravi shook his head slowly from the boundary.

"This makes no sense..."

Arjun whispered beside him:

"No."

"It makes too much sense."

Ravi frowned.

Arjun kept staring toward Sahil.

"Have you noticed?"

"Every few balls..."

"He stops making the same mistake."

That realization sent chills through Ravi instantly.

Because Arjun was right.

Sahil wasn’t randomly improving.

He was learning at an impossible speed.

Meanwhile Sameer walked toward Danish quietly.

"We don’t bowl normal anymore."

Danish frowned.

"What?"

Sameer kept watching Sahil.

"Bowl for his mistakes."

"Not for wickets."

And for the first time all match—

the Azad Nagar Tigers stopped treating Sahil like a joke.