Chapter 64 : Again
After wrapping up the T20 series against South Africa, the Indian team regrouped at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to prepare for the upcoming Test series.
The shift from T20 cricket to the longest format meant intense training sessions, extended net practice, and fine-tuning techniques. Advay arrived at the facility, dressed in his training kit, his mind already locked in on the challenge ahead.
Walking toward the practice nets, he saw Virat Kohli in deep conversation with the coaching staff, discussing match strategies. Nearby, bowlers were working on their lengths, while the batsmen practiced leaving deliveries—a stark contrast from the aggressive shot-making in the T20s.
This was a different battlefield. Test cricket was a war of patience, skill, and endurance. And Advay was more than ready.
The intensity at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) was at its peak. The red ball moved differently, behaved differently, and required a completely different mindset. This wasn't T20 cricket anymore—this was about patience, resilience, and technique.
Advay stood at the practice nets, gripping his bat tightly, his emerald-green eyes locked onto the bowler. Across from him, Umesh Yadav charged in, his strides powerful, the red ball gleaming under the training lights.
The delivery was full and fast, tailing in slightly. Advay shifted his weight forward, his front foot pressing down, and drove it past mid-off with pure timing. The ball raced to the net, smacking against it with a crisp sound.
From behind, Virat Kohli, who was watching the session, smirked. "Solid, Rai. But let's see how you handle the short stuff."
Ishant Sharma took over. The tall pacer ran in, his arm coming over the top, and sent down a nasty bouncer.
Advay reacted instantly. He shifted back, arched his body slightly, and swayed out of the way, letting the ball zip past his head. His expression remained unreadable.
Rohit Sharma, standing outside the nets, chuckled. "Look at him, man. Doesn't even flinch."
The next ball, Ishant banged in another short one, but this time, Advay was ready. He got under it, rolled his wrists, and pulled it viciously through midwicket. The sound of leather meeting willow was sharp, clean.
Virat smirked, nodding approvingly. "Good. You'll need that shot against Rabada and Nortje."
After the fast bowlers, Ravichandran Ashwin took over. The off-spinner flighted one outside off, dipping sharply. Advay stepped out instantly, meeting the pitch, and drove it inside-out over extra cover.
Harbhajan Singh, who was watching from the sidelines, whistled. "Boy's got confidence."
Advay faced nearly an hour of deliveries—fast, slow, turning, seaming—but he remained composed, sharp, and ruthless when needed. He knew what was coming in the Test series.
And he was ready.
The morning sun cast a golden hue over the Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam as thousands of fans poured in, anticipation buzzing in the air. It was October 2, 2019, and the start of the first Test between India and South Africa.
Down at the pitch, Virat Kohli flipped the coin, and as it landed, the match referee turned to the Indian captain. "India has won the toss."
Without hesitation, Virat smirked and spoke into the mic. "We'll bat first."
The crowd erupted in cheers. On a dry, batting-friendly pitch in Visakhapatnam, this was the perfect decision. Advay Rai and Rohit Sharma walked out to open the innings, the red ball gleaming under the morning light.
Mark Nicholas (Commentator): "What a sight! Rohit Sharma, India's white-ball maestro, and the Crown Prince of Indian Cricket, Advay Rai, opening the innings together. Two different styles, one common goal—domination."
As the South African fielders took their positions, Kagiso Rabada stood at the top of his mark, ready to steam in.
First over – Rabada to Rohit
Rabada ran in, his pace fiery as always, and bowled a full-length delivery outside off. Rohit leaned into it, meeting it with the full face of the bat—FOUR past covers!
Sunil Gavaskar: "Beautifully timed! When Rohit Sharma plays that shot, it just oozes class."
Rabada adjusted, this time pitching it shorter. Rohit anticipated it, rocked back, and pulled it over deep square leg—SIX!
The South African fielders exchanged nervous glances.
3rd over – Advay takes strike
Anrich Nortje ran in, his first delivery—a sharp bouncer, directed at Advay's body.
Advay didn't flinch. He calmly swayed out of the way, watching it sail past.
Harsha Bhogle: "Oh, look at that composure! Advay Rai saw that coming and just let it go. No panic, no rush—complete control."
Next ball, full outside off. Advay leaned forward, and with pure timing, drove it through extra cover—FOUR! The ball raced to the boundary, the crowd roaring in approval.
Nortje went short again. This time, Advay was ready—he pulled it viciously over deep midwicket—SIX!
Mark Nicholas: "Oh, that's a stunning shot! You pitch it short to Advay Rai, and you pay the price!"
India breezed past 50 in just 10 overs, with both openers looking in complete control.
21st over – Rohit falls, India 112/1
Keshav Maharaj came into the attack, looking to break the stand. He tossed one up, inviting Rohit to go for it. Rohit took the bait, stepped down, and tried to loft it over long-on—but mistimed it. The ball went high, and Rabada settled under it—OUT!
The South African players celebrated the big wicket. Rohit walked back after a well-made 63 off 74 balls.
Harsha Bhogle: "Oh, he'll be disappointed with that! He looked so good, but India still has a strong foundation."
As Rohit walked off, Virat Kohli walked in. He exchanged a fist bump with Advay before taking his stance.
40th over – India 183/1, Advay brings up his hundred!
Rabada bowled a good-length delivery, angling in. Advay stood tall and flicked it through midwicket for FOUR!
The crowd erupted in joy.
Harsha Bhogle: "There it is! A century for Advay Rai! Another masterclass from India's young superstar!"
Advay removed his helmet, his emerald-green eyes scanning the stands as he acknowledged the applause. Virat walked up to him, patting his back.
India dominated through the middle session.
65th over – Kohli falls for 47, India 256/2
Nortje bowled a back-of-the-length ball, angling in. Kohli tried to flick, but the ball held up—edge, caught at short midwicket!
Virat shook his head in frustration, walking off after a well-made 47.
Mark Nicholas: "A rare moment of misjudgment from Kohli, but India still has Advay standing strong at the other end."
India reached 300 in the 75th over.
Advay continued his masterclass. Against Maharaj, he stepped out and lofted him cleanly over long-off—SIX! The ball disappeared into the stands.
Sunil Gavaskar: "Oh, that is just brilliant! Advay Rai making a statement yet again!"
94th over – Advay reaches 200!
Rabada bowled full, straight, looking for reverse swing. Advay whipped it past mid-on for FOUR! The crowd rose to their feet.
200 runs off 280 balls.
Harsha Bhogle: "Take a bow, Advay Rai! A double century in style! This is a knock of pure class!"
After tea, he continued to attack, but in the 101st over, his innings finally came to an end.
Advay out for 238!
Nortje bowled a quick short ball, Advay tried to uppercut it but edged it—caught behind!
The entire stadium stood in applause. Advay walked off, raising his bat, his face calm but his eyes reflecting satisfaction.
Sunil Gavaskar: "A monumental innings from a generational talent! Advay Rai walks off with 238 to his name. Remember this day—he is here to dominate!"
At stumps, India finished at 440/3. It was a dominating performance, with Advay at the heart of it.
The final day of the Test arrived with India firmly in control. South Africa, chasing a massive total, needed a miracle, but India's bowlers were relentless.
The morning session started with Jasprit Bumrah steaming in, the red ball swinging dangerously under the morning sun.
53rd over – Bumrah to Bavuma
Bumrah angled one in sharply, full and fast. Bavuma misjudged the length, played all around it—TIMBER!
The stumps shattered, and the crowd erupted.
Harsha Bhogle: "Oh, that's a peach from Bumrah! South Africa are in deep trouble now!"
South Africa 122/5 in the second innings.
At the other end, Advay Rai was handed the ball.
60th over – Advay to Faf du Plessis
Advay took a deep breath, his emerald-green eyes locked onto the batsman. He ran in, his action smooth, and bowled a sharp off-cutter.
Faf tried to drive but misread the movement—the ball nipped back, took the inside edge, and crashed into the stumps!
OUT!
The Indian players surrounded Advay, patting him on the back as he raised a fist slightly, his expression as calm as ever.
Mark Nicholas: "Oh, that's a beauty! Advay Rai gets his first wicket of the match, and India inch closer to victory!"
South Africa 156/6 in 60 overs.
66th over – Ashwin strikes!
Ravichandran Ashwin tossed one up beautifully, tempting Quinton de Kock. The left-hander went for the slog sweep but completely misread the length—BOWLED!
The crowd roared.
Sunil Gavaskar: "Too good! Ashwin gets another, and India are running through South Africa now!"
South Africa 176/7.
Final nail in the coffin – Shami cleans up the tail
Mohammed Shami returned for his second spell and wasted no time. A quick bouncer to Keshav Maharaj had him caught at fine leg, and then the final wicket fell—a booming yorker crashing into Rabada's stumps!
Harsha Bhogle: "That's it! South Africa are all out for 191, and India WIN the first Test in absolute style!"
The Indian team celebrated the dominant victory, shaking hands as the stadium echoed with cheers.
Advay walked off, his contribution significant—238 with the bat and a crucial wicket with the ball.
Virat Kohli, patting him on the back, smirked. "Good start, Rai. But we're not done yet."
Advay simply nodded. One down. Two to go.
he series had been nothing short of dominance. India had swept South Africa 3-0, and Advay had once again been at the heart of it all—a hundred in Pune, another double century in Ranchi.
Now, the job was done. The trophy was lifted. The celebrations were over.
Advay sat in his hotel room, the glow of the city lights flickering through the window. The adrenaline had settled, but the weight of his performances still lingered. He had done exactly what was expected of him—nothing more, nothing less.
His phone buzzed on the table. Another notification. Another headline.
"Advay Rai seals series in style! The Crown Prince of Indian Cricket continues to reign supreme!"
He picked up the phone
Advay leaned back on the hotel couch, scrolling through his phone, watching the world react to India's 3-0 series sweep.
The cricket forums were on fire.
"Advay is unreal. A century in the second Test, and then a DOUBLE in the third? Who even does that?!"
"We're witnessing history, man. This guy is built different."
"The Crown Prince of Indian Cricket living up to the title. Imagine what his career stats will look like in 10 years."
Advay exhaled softly, shaking his head.
He switched to Twitter.
His name was trending at No. 1.
#AdvayMasterclass
#INDvsSA
#CrownPrince
Virat had tweeted:
"Too good, @AdvayR. Another day, another masterclass. Keep raising the bar. 💯🔥"
Ananya had posted on her story:
"Man of the Series. No surprises there. 😉🔥 @Advay"
The fans, as always, were on another level.
"Advay doesn't score runs. He constructs monuments."
"Bowlers must have nightmares about this man. 3 innings, 3 big knocks. Insane."
"How do we keep producing legends like this? India is spoiled for talent."
He smirked slightly, scrolling past a clip of his straight drive from the last match, the caption reading:
"If perfection had a sound, it would be the noise of this shot."
His phone buzzed. Another notification.
He knew what was coming next. The cricketing world had taken notice.
The next morning, October 24, 2019, Advay sat on his hotel bed, phone in hand, dialing a familiar number. After a few rings, the call connected.
"Hello?"
"Rysa," Advay greeted, his voice calm as ever. "You free?"
There was a pause, then an excited gasp. "Wait, wait, ADVAY? You actually called ME?!"
He chuckled lightly. "Yeah. Thought I'd ask you something."
Rysa cleared her throat, trying to sound composed but failing miserably. "Of course! What's up?"
Advay leaned back against the headboard. "Ananya's birthday is next week. You planning anything?"
Rysa immediately perked up. "Oh my god, yes! I was thinking of throwing a surprise party, but I needed help making it special. And now YOU are here, asking ME? This is perfect!"
"Glad to hear that," Advay said, smirking. "I want to do something for her. Thought you might have ideas."
Rysa gasped dramatically. "Wait… wait, is this you being romantic? Oh my god, am I witnessing history?!"
Advay rolled his eyes. "Rysa."
She giggled. "Okay, okay! Let's plan something epic. You, me, mission 'Ananya's Best Birthday Ever.'"
He nodded. "Sounds good. Let's figure this out."
"Is Ananya home?" Advay asked, glancing at the time.
"Nope," Rysa replied. "She's out for some event. Why?"
"Then I'll come over," he said simply. "Let's plan this properly."
Rysa huffed. "You know, you could've just told me your ideas over the phone."
"And trust you to mess it up?" Advay teased. "Not happening."
She gasped dramatically. "Excuse me?! I planned my dad's birthday party when I was twelve, and it was amazing!"
"Exactly. He was your dad. This is Ananya."
Rysa paused. "Okay, fair point. Fine, get here fast!"
Advay chuckled, grabbed his keys, and headed out. He had been to their house twice before, but this time, it wasn't just a casual visit.
This time, he was planning something special.