Free Web NovelChapter 70: Final Trial Match
Final Trial Match
The district stadium felt unusually silent that morning.
Not empty.
Silent.
Players still warmed up near the boundary ropes. Bowlers still stretched their shoulders. Coaches still moved around the practice area carrying clipboards.
But beneath everything...
pressure existed everywhere.
Because today was different.
This wasn’t another practice session.
This wasn’t another warmup game.
This was the final District Under-19 selection trial match.
The last opportunity before the selectors finalized the district squad.
One performance today could decide everything.
And every player knew it.
Sahil stepped into the stadium quietly while carrying his kit bag over one shoulder.
The morning air felt cold, but tension inside the ground felt much heavier.
Three senior district selectors already sat near the pavilion with notebooks open. A few academy coaches stood nearby discussing players seriously.
Even the district staff looked more focused than usual.
No one laughed loudly today.
Nobody looked relaxed.
Because careers quietly started from matches like this.
Kabir walked beside Sahil while adjusting his wrist tape.
"You slept?"
Sahil smirked faintly.
"Barely."
Kabir laughed softly.
"Good."
Then his expression became serious.
"Nervous players respect pressure."
That sentence quietly settled inside Sahil’s mind.
Nearby, Aryan Malhotra practiced shadow drives calmly with perfect balance.
Relaxed.
Controlled.
Professional.
Like he belonged here naturally.
And honestly...
that irritated Sahil slightly.
Because academy players like Aryan looked comfortable in these environments.
Meanwhile Sahil still felt like he was fighting to prove he deserved to stand here at all.
Then a loud whistle echoed across the ground.
"All players gather!"
Everyone immediately moved toward the pavilion area.
The head selector stood in front of the group calmly.
His sharp eyes moved across every player slowly.
"This is your final evaluation."
Silence spread instantly.
"We already know your strengths."
"We already know your weaknesses."
Then his voice hardened slightly.
"Today we judge mentality."
"How you handle pressure."
"How you react when matches become difficult."
His eyes paused briefly on several players.
"District cricket doesn’t reward pretty net sessions."
"It rewards match-winners."
The atmosphere immediately became heavier.
Even academy players straightened slightly after hearing that.
The selectors weren’t looking for stylish practice players anymore.
They wanted cricketers who could survive pressure.
The squads were announced soon afterward.
Sahil remained in Squad B.
Kabir too.
Aryan captained Squad A.
The rivalry instantly became more intense.
As players dispersed toward warmups, Aryan walked past Sahil casually.
"Hope your confidence survives real pressure."
Sahil smirked slightly.
"Hope your academy technique does too."
Kabir nearly burst out laughing nearby.
Aryan paused briefly.
Then smiled faintly.
"Better."
"Now you sound like a cricketer."
The tension between them had become obvious to everyone now.
Soon the toss happened.
Squad B would chase.
Honestly...
Sahil preferred that.
Clear targets suited aggressive batters better.
The match began shortly afterward.
Kabir opened bowling aggressively from the pavilion end.
The pitch offered decent bounce and slight seam movement early.
The first few overs became intense immediately.
Edges flew.
Appeals echoed constantly.
Fielders shouted loudly.
The pressure felt real now.
Not trial-camp pressure.
Actual match pressure.
Kabir bowled with serious aggression today.
THUD!
The keeper collected a sharp rising delivery near shoulder height.
Next ball—
WHOOSH!
Late outswing.
EDGE!
Dropped at second slip.
Kabir immediately turned around furiously.
"You HAVE to catch those!"
Even the selectors quietly wrote notes already.
Every small moment mattered today.
Aryan walked in at number three after an early wicket.
And immediately...
the atmosphere shifted slightly.
Even fielders became more alert.
Because everyone respected his batting.
Aryan handled the conditions beautifully again.
Late cuts.
Compact defense.
Elegant drives.
Everything looked polished.
Professional.
Even Sahil watching from cover felt slightly annoyed.
Because Aryan truly belonged at this level.
That was the frustrating part.
He wasn’t arrogant without reason.
One selector quietly nodded after Aryan punched another cover drive for four.
"Excellent balance."
Another wrote something immediately afterward.
Aryan eventually reached another composed fifty before Kabir dismissed him with a brutal short ball caught near deep square leg.
The crowd reacted loudly immediately.
Even Sahil clapped from the field.
Despite rivalry—
that wicket mattered.
Aryan walked back after scoring 52.
Another high-quality innings.
The rest of Squad A collapsed slightly afterward.
Good middle-over bowling.
Sharp fielding pressure.
Tight lines.
Eventually the innings finished at:
176 runs.
Competitive.
Not huge.
But dangerous under pressure.
During innings break, Squad B players gathered near the dugout quietly.
Nobody looked relaxed.
Everyone understood what this chase meant.
The coach walked toward the batting group.
"Bat smart."
"No hero cricket."
Then his eyes briefly shifted toward Sahil.
"Controlled aggression."
Sahil nodded quietly.
That phrase remained inside his mind.
Controlled aggression.
Not reckless attacking.
Not blind slogging.
Pressure batting.
The chase began soon afterward.
And immediately—
everything went wrong.
First over.
EDGE.
OUT.
The opener walked back for zero.
Third over.
LBW.
Second wicket gone.
Score: 11/2.
Pressure instantly exploded inside the dressing area.
The next batsman attempted attacking against swing.
High shot.
Caught at mid-off.
18/3.
The atmosphere became tense immediately.
Even the crowd noise started feeling heavier now.
Another batsman edged behind soon afterward.
34/4.
Then Kabir himself tried pulling a sharp short ball aggressively.
Top edge.
OUT.
52/5.
Silence spread across Squad B completely.
Only lower-middle-order batsmen remained.
The required run rate slowly climbed.
And from the pavilion—
the selectors watched everything carefully.
Some players already looked mentally defeated.
That was the dangerous thing about pressure.
It destroyed confidence faster than wickets.
Then the coach turned toward Sahil.
"Pads on."
His heartbeat immediately became heavier.
This was it.
Not a net session.
Not a practice innings.
A real district selection pressure situation.
As Sahil grabbed his helmet, the noise around him slowly faded.
Only the scoreboard remained clear.
52/5.
Still over a hundred needed.
Aryan stood at slip smiling faintly.
"Perfect pressure situation for you."
Sahil ignored him completely.
Because honestly...
his full focus remained on the fast bowler already charging in.
The first delivery came sharply outside off stump.
WHOOSH!
Late outswing.
One week ago—
Sahil would have chased it automatically.
Now—
Leave.
Perfect judgement.
Immediately, several coaches watching outside exchanged glances.
Second ball.
Good length.
THACK!
Compact defense.
Solid contact.
Third delivery.
Short ball climbing toward chest height.
Sahil reacted instinctively.
BOOM!
The pull shot exploded toward deep square leg boundary.
FOUR.
The sound off the bat echoed beautifully across the stadium.
Even the crowd reacted immediately.
That shot carried authority.
Not panic.
Not desperation.
Pure aggression.
The blue screen flickered instantly.
---
SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE
PULL SHOT
Connection Quality: 74%
Timing: 69%
Bat Path: Slightly Closed
---
Positive
✔ Fast hand speed
✔ Strong bottom-hand power
✔ Stable head position
---
Weaknesses
✘ Front leg collapsing slightly
✘ Follow-through too aggressive
---
Suggestion
Maintain stronger front-foot balance during short-ball attack.
---
Aryan’s expression sharpened slightly at slip.
The next over changed the entire atmosphere.
The bowler attempted another outswing trap.
Full delivery outside off stump.
Tempting drive.
Sahil stayed balanced.
Waited late.
Then—
THACK!
The bat flowed through perfectly.
The ball soared high over extra cover.
SIX.
Silence spread for one brief second.
Then loud reactions exploded everywhere.
Even the selectors looked up immediately from their notebooks.
One senior selector leaned forward slightly now.
"That’s confidence."
Another nodded quietly.
"Against swing bowling too."
Near the dugout, Kabir burst out laughing proudly.
"There he goes!"
Even the coaches looked surprised.
Not because Sahil attacked.
But because the shot looked controlled.
Fearless.
Calculated.
The blue system screen appeared instantly.
---
SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE
LIFTED OUTSWING DRIVE
Connection Quality: 87%
Timing: 82%
Bat Path: Correct
---
Positive
✔ Excellent balance at impact
✔ Late ball contact achieved
✔ Controlled shoulder rotation
✔ Strong off-side extension
---
Weaknesses
✘ Slight overcommitment on front foot
---
Suggestion
Maintain same bat flow while improving recovery balance.
---
OUTSWING MASTERY ACTIVATED
✔ +5 Temporary Timing
✔ +5 Temporary Control
---
The chase remained alive.
And now—
momentum had shifted.
The batting partner focused on survival while Sahil attacked selectively.
Loose deliveries disappeared toward the boundary.
Short balls got punished instantly.
Singles rotated smartly.
The pressure slowly transferred back toward the bowling side.
From the pavilion, the selectors quietly discussed him now.
"He’s raw."
"But dangerous."
"Very strong under pressure."
Meanwhile the district coaches watched carefully too.
One assistant coach spoke quietly,
"He adapts fast."
The partnership slowly grew.
70/5.
Then 96/5.
Suddenly the chase looked possible again.
Aryan moved fielders constantly now. freeweɓnovel.cøm
His expression no longer looked relaxed.
Because Sahil’s aggression kept breaking bowling rhythm.
A spinner entered the attack.
First ball—
Sahil danced down immediately.
BOOM!
Straight over long-on.
SIX.
The crowd erupted loudly again.
Even nearby academy players reacted now.
"That power is insane."
"He’s fearless."
But what surprised everyone most—
was how calm Sahil looked while attacking.
Earlier in trials, aggression made him reckless.
Now?
It looked controlled.
The result of grinding.
Outswing training.
Fatigue conditioning.
Pressure adaptation.
Everything slowly came together.
The system screen flickered again.
---
SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE
ADVANCE LOFTED STRAIGHT HIT
Connection Quality: 79%
Timing: 71%
Bat Path: Aggressive Vertical Arc
---
Positive
✔ Excellent bat acceleration
✔ Fearless foot movement
✔ Clean extension through line
---
Weaknesses
✘ Head position lifted early
✘ Slight imbalance after contact
---
Suggestion
Keep eyes level longer during lofted straight attacks.
---
The chase tightened again afterward.
48 needed from 30.
Then: 31 from 18.
Pressure returned heavily.
Fielders shouted constantly.
Bowlers attacked hard.
But strangely—
Sahil looked calmer now than at the beginning.
Because this situation suited aggressive finishers perfectly.
Another short ball came.
BOOM!
Pull shot.
SIX over backward square.
The crowd exploded again.
Kabir nearly jumped from the dugout.
"That’s game!"
Even the selectors openly reacted now.
One smiled slightly while writing something quickly.
Meanwhile Aryan stood silently at cover while watching Sahil carefully.
For the first time since meeting him—
his expression carried genuine respect.
Not mockery.
Not arrogance.
Respect.
The blue screen flashed once more.
---
SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE
POWER PULL SHOT
Connection Quality: 91%
Timing: 86%
Bat Path: Correct
---
Positive
✔ Excellent weight transfer
✔ Stable core balance
✔ Elite hand-speed generation
✔ Strong short-ball reading
---
Weaknesses
✘ Slightly early shoulder opening
---
Suggestion
Delay shoulder release slightly for maximum control consistency.
---
PULL SHOT PASSIVE ACTIVATED
✔ +5 Temporary Power
✔ +5 Temporary Control
---
The final overs passed quickly afterward.
Boundary.
Single.
Two runs.
Another aggressive pull shot for four.
Then finally—
with 6 runs needed—
the bowler attempted a yorker.
Sahil adjusted instantly.
THACK!
The ball rocketed straight back over the bowler’s head.
FOUR.
Next ball—
short again.
BOOM!
Massive pull shot into deep midwicket stands.
SIX.
Match over.
Squad B won.
For several seconds, noise exploded across the stadium.
Teammates rushed toward Sahil immediately.
Kabir grabbed him aggressively.
"You psychopath!"
Several players laughed loudly.
Even academy boys clapped now.
Not because the innings was technically perfect.
But because it carried serious impact under pressure.
The scoreboard displayed:
Sahil Choudhary — 41* (19)
Strike Rate: 215.7
From the pavilion, the selectors continued discussing quietly.
One finally spoke clearly.
"That innings changed the match."
Another nodded.
"And he didn’t panic after collapse."
The head selector slowly closed his notebook.
"He has flaws."
Then his eyes shifted toward Sahil surrounded by teammates.
"But match-winners always do."
Meanwhile near the boundary rope, Aryan slowly walked toward him again.
This time—
no smirk.
No arrogance.
Just calm eyes.
"That was a serious innings," Aryan admitted honestly.
Sahil smirked slightly.
"Thought school players disappeared under pressure?"
Aryan laughed softly.
"Maybe you’re different."
Then he glanced briefly toward the scoreboard.
"Forty-one off nineteen in a collapse..."
He shook his head faintly.
"...that’s difficult cricket."
For the first time since entering district camp—
Aryan Malhotra truly acknowledged him.
The blue system screen slowly appeared beside Sahil one final time beneath the evening sunlight.
---
FINAL TRIAL MATCH ANALYSIS
Performance:
41* (19)
---
Match Achievements
✔ Match-winning pressure innings
✔ Successful chase after collapse
✔ First major selector-noticed performance
✔ Fearless batting against swing
✔ Rival acknowledgment achieved
---
Skill Growth
Pull Shot Mastery EXP +22
Outswing Mastery EXP +35
---
PERFECT TIMING PATHWAY
Progress: 381 / 1000
---
Sahil quietly stared at the glowing screen beneath the fading orange sky.
A few weeks ago...
district cricket had completely exposed him.
Now?
Selectors discussed his name seriously.
Players respected his batting.
And even academy cricketers acknowledged him.
For the first time since entering district trials—
Sahil truly felt like he belonged at this level.
