Ambati Rayudu's Journey

9:14 am. 10 July 2015. It’s a lazy winter morning at the Harare Sports Club. The sun is shining on the half empty stadium. Even the few people who have bothered to turn up don't seem too concerned with the cricket going on. Zimbabwe are playing India, who have rested almost their entire full strength team for this tour.

There is no MS Dhoni. There is no Virat Kohli. There is no Rohit Sharma. There is no attraction for the locals. It is clear that this tour does not mean much to the BCCI – who almost shelved it due to an issue with the broadcaster – as well as for the locals, the opposing team full of unknown players, missing the stars they so wanted to see. But for the man coming in to bat for India at 9:14 am, this tour means a lot.

It’s his chance to score runs. It’s his chance to silence his critics. It’s his chance to secure a permanent berth in the Indian ODI side. Over the course of the next 199 minutes, he probably manages to do all of that. In style.

Losing his way

6 November 2014. India vs Sri Lanka, Ahmedabad. Ambati Rayudu has just scored his maiden ODI hundred. In the post-match presentation ceremony, stand-in captain Virat Kohli is asked why he relinquished his usual No. 3 spot to Rayudu. Kohli says that Rayudu deserved this chance. 10 years ago. He puts a lot of emphasis on the 10 year bit. It stings.

Flashback to 2004. Ambati Rayudu is the next big thing in Indian Cricket. He has just led India to the semi-finals of the U19 World Cup. He has scored a mountain of runs wherever he played, for India at the U19 level and in the Ranji Trophy. He is expected to play international cricket within the next couple of years. The future appears bright. It is not.

From here everything that could possibly go wrong with Rayudu’s career does.

He shifts base thrice in the next three Ranji seasons. He fails in all three. He develops problems, with the players, with the umpires, with the team management, with everybody. He loses his way. Then, in 2007, the rebel Indian Cricket League comes calling. He joins without blinking an eyelid. He has given up all hopes of playing for India.

But the dream he started out with still holds some significance. Everybody wants to play for India. So does Rayudu. Destiny gives him a second chance. The BCCI offers him amnesty in 2009. He takes the chance, cancelling his ICL contract. It has been an upward journey since then. Rayudu has become a star for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and a stalwart for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy. The Indian dream seems possible again.

A promise unfulfilled for two years

5 July 2013. The team for India’s ODI tour to Zimbabwe is announced. India are coming off the back of a victorious Champions Trophy campaign in England and a Tri-series in the West Indies. Like is the norm for any tour to Zimbabwe, India has rested its key players. The second string side includes, amongst a host of newcomers, Ambati Rayudu.

19 days later, Rayudu makes his debut, at this very ground. Chasing 228, Rayudu manages a well compiled 63 not out. From there, he put his name up for contention in the much fancied Indian middle order. Whenever he gets an opportunity, he makes it count. The only time he fails is against Bangladesh in 2014.

27 August 2014. India vs England. Cardiff, Wales. Rohit Sharma breaks his finger. 3 days later, Ambati Rayudu replaces him in the team. This is Rayudu’s first real chance in a full strength team. He thrives, scoring two successive unbeaten fifties against a world class bowling attack. You feel that the captain can now trust him. MS Dhoni seems to disagree.

The only T20I of the tour is nail biter. It comes down to 5 runs required off 2 balls. Dhoni is facing. He has Rayudu with him. Dhoni hits hard. Dhoni does not connect. Dhoni refuses the single. It’s strange. The commentators think so. The crowd thinks so. Everyone thinks so. Rayudu’s face is one of disbelief. It should be. He had done enough for his captain to have faith in him. But Dhoni does’nt.

4 October 2014. Rohit Sharma has now developed a problem in his shoulder. He is still unfit. Ambati Rayudu keeps his place. Against the West Indies, he bats at 5. He hardly gets a bat. At least, he is playing.

Next come the Sri Lankans. This is Rayudu’s series. MS Dhoni has been rested. Virat Kohli is the captain. Kohli backs Rayudu. Kohli gives Rayudu the opportunity he deserves. Kohli gives Rayudu his No 3 position. Like always, Rayudu delivers. 255 runs from 5 innings. One century. One half century. An average of 63.75. That doesn’t seem to matter. Everyone says listless bowling and flat pitches were the reason he scored runs. Let’s see what he does in Australia, they said.

Rayudu gets his chance in Australia. Rayudu had earned the chance. Rayudu fails, scoring just 58 runs from 3 innings. He fails in three matches and he is written off, by fans and experts alike. Nobody notices it was the only the second bad series he has had. Maybe, nobody wanted to notice that.

The Rayudu hour arrives, or does it?

He was now waiting for his next opportunity to arrive. It comes at 9:14 am in Harare. The pitch is tough to bat on initially. Zimbabwe are bowling well. India are not scoring runs. India are losing wickets. India needed someone. Today, Rayudu became that someone. For one day, just one day, Rayudu became a hero.

Until he is joined by Stuart Binny, Rayudu seems to be playing a different game than the rest of the team. Rayudu plays. The rest miss. Rayudu strikes. The rest defend. Rayudu carries on. The rest get dismissed. Rayudu carries on till the overs end. Rayudu rescues India. Today, Rayudu was India.

The 117th ball Rayudu faces is a low full toss by Tinashe Panyangara, which he flicks through mid wicket for a boundary. This shot brings up his hundred. This shot brings out a roar. It’s a release. It’s a release of the frustration that has built up. It is also a roar of happiness, that of being a hero. It is moments like this that sportspersons fantasize about. Everyone wants to become a hero. Today, Rayudu did just that. He also silenced his critics. But, knowing them, only for a short while.

In a few weeks, the value of this innings would be forgotten. The fact that it saved India would be forgotten. The fact that nobody else, except him and then Stuart Binny at the end, scored runs would be forgotten. The fact that it won India the match would be forgotten. The fact that it came against Zimbabwe would be the only one people will remember. And Ambati Rayudu’s journey will continue.