Fond Hostel memory

It had been 2 long years now that I am out of college. 2 years since Summer of 69 seems to have got over.Looking back in past, I miss those fun-filled college days. The days when you dont have to worry about a piece of code throwing out the error or your appraisal with manager. When you dont need to worry, if you would be in job tomorrow. Those are the years when everyone enjoys the Paid holidays in life. One always have the moments to cheris in his college life and so do I. As expected, I cant put all of them down here. But the one, that I think of instantaneoulsy on hearing the word college is the experience at Night Cricket.

It was a group of 7 lethargic lads who came together for the first time on the field. All of them had an aim in common. The aim for which they did all the practice, put all their efforts and put in their days & nights. And the aim for which they lived through all those days. The aim to LOSE the very first match at night cricket. And show the world, winning is not everything.Its not always easy to achive a target so different in itself, and so the leadership of such a great team was handed over to the most laziest one - THE myself. It was a challenge for me to get to this. Because, we had some of the great players like Harshvardhan & Pyati in the team. I had to make sure that we go to practice matches every morning so that everyone is at the same level on D-Day. It was a tough task when it came to above two guys. They really had some good cricket in them. Making them forget everything and then start from scratch was going to be difficult. But, thanks to gem of players like Sourabh Jain (aka Budha), Gautam, Prusty and yours truly as the captain who made this in no time.After a lot of practice sessions,the results were in front.On the final day, all of us were experts at not to bat, ball and field.And I was pretty sure that we would reach the sky and would not go empty handed at the end of the match.
When the match started, everyone was at his peak. I dont remember all great fielding efforts. The one, that went on to become famous and would be talked about for years to come was Sourabh's fielding. Gosh,what dives he not tried that day. Not for once too, the ball stuck to his hands or dared touch any part of his body. He played it safe or rather the Safest and made sure that each time the ball goes by him, he dives exactly in the opposite direction.
We were bowling first and the other team piled up some 130+ runs in 10 overs. Everyone in our team was so happy for they knew that they definitely would succeed today. But, you never know when you get a hole in the boat and so happened with our team. I realised all the training given to Harsh & Pyati had been invain. Their skills were reset to the one they had before training and in such a dangerous form they could have scored even that impossible looking target. I was getting worried and then again came Sourabh Jain to rescue. He got both of them run out. Can anyone do this sitting in pavillion! Bravo, Sourabh. You were the man.(Dont misconstrue if he is no more a man).

Had the opponents been the judge that very day, they surely would have given the Man of the match award to none other than Sourabh. After all, it was his great efforts that day who won them the match. But Whosoever would had taken the MOM award that day, for us the Star was him.

When i retrospect, I feel as if I missed the chance to play in the next year Night cricket match. One more year, would have given us the time to tune in each and every star in our team. And who knows, if all of us would had been in demand.

Whatever it be, we were the winners at the end of day. For some it might sound confusing for that they dont know that When you try to fail and you succeed, what have you actually done!