Chapter 67 :
The sun rose over Kolkata on November 22, 2019, marking a historic day in Indian cricket. The iconic Eden Gardens was dressed in pink, the stands filled with eager spectators buzzing with anticipation—this was India's first-ever Day-Night Test.
The captains walked out for the toss, and after a brief discussion, Bangladesh won and chose to bowl first. The decision was met with a roar from the crowd—they wanted to see India bat under the lights.
The Indian dressing room remained calm, the players focused. As the signal came, Advay and Rohit Sharma picked up their bats and began the walk to the middle.
The crowd erupted as their names flashed on the giant screen. "ROHIT! ADVAY!" chants echoed through the stadium.
From the commentary box, Harsha Bhogle's voice carried the excitement. "And here come the openers for India! Rohit Sharma, the Hitman, and alongside him, the Crown Prince of Indian Cricket, Advay. What a setting this is—historic day, historic venue, and two of India's best at the crease."
Sanjay Manjrekar added, "This is a big moment. Pink ball under lights, conditions slightly unknown, but if there's one thing we do know—it's that both these batsmen love the big stage."
The Bangladesh bowlers took their positions, adjusting their fields, while Rohit and Advay had a quick discussion at the crease.
"Let's be careful early on," Rohit murmured, adjusting his gloves. "See how the pink ball behaves."
Advay smirked slightly, rolling his shoulders. "Careful? Sure. But if it's there to be hit, I'm not holding back."
The bowler ran in, the first-ever pink ball in Indian Test history hurled down the pitch.
The match had begun.
The first ball of the historic Day-Night Test zipped off the pink surface, swinging under the lights as Rohit carefully left it alone. The Bangladesh bowlers got early movement, but Advay and Rohit stood firm, waiting for their moment.
In the fourth over, a full delivery drifted onto Advay's pads—too easy. With a simple flick of the wrists, the ball raced past midwicket for four.
"First boundary of the match! Advay gets going in style!" Harsha Bhogle exclaimed. "That was all timing, all class."
INDIA – 18/0 (4 overs)
Rohit, never one to be left behind, stepped out in the next over and lofted a picture-perfect straight drive over the bowler's head for four. The crowd roared in approval.
The bowlers tightened their lines, but the openers remained patient. Then, in the ninth over, a short ball arrived—Advay was waiting.
CRACK.
A ferocious pull shot over deep square leg. The ball cleared the boundary with ease.
"Advay takes on the short ball, and it's GONE!" Sanjay Manjrekar called. "That's a shot of a man in full confidence."
INDIA – 47/0 (9 overs)
The fifty-run partnership came up in the 12th over, Rohit joining the party with a wristy flick to the ropes. Bangladesh needed a breakthrough, and they finally got one in the 16th over.
Rohit, looking to accelerate, misjudged a length ball and edged it straight to second slip.
"CAUGHT! The Hitman departs for 42!" Bhogle called as the Bangladesh players celebrated.
INDIA – 78/1 (16.3 overs)
As Cheteshwar Pujara walked in, Advay remained unshaken. The pink ball continued to swing under the lights, but he played it late, watching it closely.
By the 25th over, the partnership had settled. Pujara, solid as ever, rotated the strike, allowing Advay to take the lead. And take the lead he did.
The 28th over saw a full ball outside off—Advay leaned in and caressed a cover drive past the fielder. No rush, no power—just pure class.
INDIA – 132/1 (28 overs)
A few overs later, the pink ball skidded onto him on a shorter length. He rocked back and dispatched it over midwicket, sending the fans into a frenzy.
"SHOT! That's Advay at his best!" Manjrekar exclaimed. "He's taking control of this innings now!"
As the fifty partnership came up between Advay and Pujara, the opposition looked desperate. They introduced spin in the 37th over, hoping for a mistake.
Big mistake.
First ball, Advay stepped out and lofted it inside-out over extra cover. The ball soared into the stands, the crowd on its feet.
INDIA – 189/1 (37 overs)
With the session winding down, Advay approached his century. The tension in the stands built up, fans on edge.
And then, in the 42nd over, a delivery outside off—he opened the face of the bat, guiding it past point. The ball raced to the boundary.
The crowd ERUPTED.
"CENTURY FOR ADVAY!" Harsha Bhogle shouted. "A historic moment in a historic Test! The Crown Prince delivers again!"
INDIA – 207/1 (42 overs)
As he reached the non-striker's end, Advay simply shrugged. No over-the-top reactions, no wild celebrations—just the signature move the world had come to expect.
The crowd ate it up, chanting his name.
Pujara, smiling, walked over and patted his back. "You really love that shrug, don't you?"
"Works every time," Advay smirked.
The next phase of the innings was pure dominance.
Pujara fell for 56, but Virat Kohli walked in and kept the scoreboard ticking. Advay, meanwhile, was unstoppable.
A lofted drive over mid-off in the 55th over. A blistering cut shot past point in the 63rd. A delicate late glance for four in the 69th.
With every shot, Bangladesh's shoulders slumped further.
By the time the second new ball was taken, Advay had moved into the 190s. The stadium was waiting, sensing another monumental innings.
And then, in the 83rd over, it happened.
A full delivery on leg stump—Advay shuffled across and flicked it past square leg. The ball raced to the ropes.
A DOUBLE CENTURY!
Eden Gardens ERUPTED.
Advay, standing at the crease, lifted his bat, then—once again—shrugged.
The crowd went WILD.
Kohli walked over, grinning as he clapped. "You really are something else."
"I try," Advay smirked, adjusting his gloves.
The domination continued well into the final session. Kohli brought up his hundred as well, and the two kept piling on the runs.
As the declaration finally came, the scoreboard stood at:
INDIA – 518/3 (98 overs, Declared)
Advay – 238 (307)*Virat Kohli – 136 (190)*
The fans remained on their feet, chanting as Advay and Kohli walked off.
This wasn't just a statement.
This was sheer authority.
Bangladesh walked out to bat, staring at a mountain of 518 runs on the scoreboard. The pink ball, still new and hard, gleamed under the lights as the Indian bowlers got into position.
Ishant Sharma steamed in for the first over, angling a delivery into the stumps. The Bangladeshi opener, trying to defend, misjudged the swing, and the ball crashed into his front pad. Loud appeal—the umpire raised his finger!
"GONE! That's as plumb as it gets!" Harsha Bhogle called. "Ishant Sharma strikes in the very first over!"
BANGLADESH – 2/1 (0.4 overs)
Mohammed Shami joined the attack from the other end, immediately cranking up the pace. His second over, a short, sharp delivery—gloved straight to the keeper! Another one down.
BANGLADESH – 16/2 (4.2 overs)
The Indian bowlers were relentless. The pink ball zipped under the lights, moving dangerously. The next breakthrough came in the 10th over. A rising delivery, edged straight to slip!
Bangladesh was in deep trouble.
BANGLADESH – 39/3 (10.5 overs)
And then, Advay was handed the ball. The crowd, already buzzing, erupted into chants as he marked his run-up. The field adjusted, the slips moved into position.
His first delivery—a full, swinging ball outside off. The batsman pushed tentatively—edged! Straight to first slip!
"EDGED AND TAKEN! First ball, Advay gets one!" Sanjay Manjrekar shouted.
BANGLADESH – 48/4 (12.1 overs)
Advay wasn't done. Next over, a sharp, angling delivery cut back in viciously, crashing into the stumps. The bails went flying.
"OH, THAT'S A BEAUTY!" Bhogle exclaimed. "Advay is tearing through them!"
BANGLADESH – 61/5 (15.3 overs)
The opposition was falling apart. Advay, completely in rhythm, ran in for his third over, bowling a vicious short ball that hurried the batsman. A desperate pull shot—top edge! Easy catch at fine leg!
BANGLADESH – 79/6 (20.1 overs)
The Eden Gardens crowd was electric. Advay walked back to his mark, calm as ever, adjusting his wristbands. The Bangladeshi batsmen looked rattled.
The next two wickets fell in quick succession—one lbw, one caught behind. Advay now had four.
BANGLADESH – 97/8 (23 overs)
And then, his moment arrived.
Advay fired in a full, searing yorker. The batsman had no chance. Middle stump uprooted.
Five wickets. The crowd ERUPTED.
"FIVE WICKET HAUL FOR ADVAY!" Bhogle roared. "A century with the bat, and now, he's running through Bangladesh with the ball!"
Advay stood at the top of his mark, taking in the noise. Then, as expected—he shrugged.
The fans went wild, chanting his name.
Bangladesh crumbled completely, bowled out for just 148. India enforced the follow-on, and the second innings wasn't much different.
Despite a brief resistance from the Bangladeshi middle order, the Indian bowlers, led by Ishant and Shami, wrapped things up quickly. Advay added another wicket to his tally.
The final scoreboard flashed:
BANGLADESH – 148 & 205
INDIA – 518/3 decl.
INDIA WINS BY AN INNINGS AND 165 RUNS!
The Indian team walked off victorious, smiles all around. Advay, having played a match-defining role, was the center of attention. As he left the field, the Eden Gardens crowd stood on its feet, giving him a roaring ovation.
This wasn't just a Test win.
This was domination.
As the presenter called Advay up to receive the Man of the Match award, the Eden Gardens crowd roared in approval. The giant screen flashed his match-winning numbers:
238 (307) & 5/41*
Holding the trophy, Advay walked over to Harsha Bhogle, who was waiting with a microphone in hand.
"Advay, another historic performance from you. A double century with the bat, a five-wicket haul with the ball. You've done it in ODIs, you've done it in T20s, and now you've done it in a historic Day-Night Test. How does it feel?"
Advay, calm as ever, adjusted the mic before replying. "It feels good, Harsha. First-ever pink ball Test in India, packed Eden Gardens, and a strong performance—couldn't have asked for more."
"You make it sound easy, but batting under lights with the pink ball is supposed to be a challenge. You were in complete control out there. What was your mindset?"
"See ball, hit ball," Advay said with a slight smirk, making the crowd chuckle. "Jokes aside, it was about trusting my technique. The pink ball moves a bit under lights, so the key was to watch it till the last moment and play late. Once I settled in, it was about capitalizing."
"And of course, we saw your classic shrug celebration after the double century. Fans love it. Do you ever plan on changing it?"
Advay shrugged right then and there, making the crowd erupt into cheers again. "No reason to change something that works."
Harsha laughed, shaking his head. "Fair enough. Now, let's talk about your bowling. A five-wicket haul to go along with the double century. Have to say, your yorker for the fifth wicket was something special."
"Yeah, that one felt good," Advay nodded. "The pink ball skids on under lights, so I just tried to go full and fast. The plan was simple—hit the stumps or make them play a false shot."
"And it worked brilliantly. Finally, before I let you go, the fans have one big question—how do you stay this composed? No over-the-top celebrations, no wild reactions. Just the shrug. What's the secret?"
Advay paused for a moment before replying, his voice steady. "I've been this way since I was a kid. Just focused on what's next."
Harsha nodded, smiling. "Well, whatever you're doing, keep doing it. Ladies and gentlemen, your Man of the Match—Advay!"
As Advay walked off, raising the trophy slightly in acknowledgment, the Eden Gardens crowd chanted his name. It was his night, his match, and yet, in true Advay fashion—he remained as calm as ever.
After the celebrations and media duties, Advay finally returned to his hotel room. The excitement of the win was still fresh, but now, he just wanted to unwind.
He lay on his bed, phone in hand, scrolling through social media. The reactions were exploding. Fans were hyping up his double century, his five-wicket haul, and, of course, his signature shrug celebration.
Then, a particular post caught his eye. It had gone viral, with thousands of comments and debates underneath it.
"Advay has now played a total of 7 Test matches. In those, he has 5 centuries and 2 double centuries. And in ODIs, T20Is, and IPL, he has NEVER scored less than 50. This is beyond insane. Is this even real?"
The comments were an absolute warzone.
— "No one has ever started like this. Not even Kohli, not even Sachin. We are witnessing something special."
— "The Crown Prince of Indian Cricket, and it's not even debatable anymore."
— "This guy is breaking cricket. How do you NEVER fail??"
— "I swear if this continues, he'll be called the most complete batsman ever."
Advay raised an eyebrow, shaking his head slightly. He wasn't one to pay attention to stats, but even he had to admit—this looked ridiculous.
Just as he was about to put his phone away, another notification popped up.
@virat.kohli replied to the post:
"He's just getting started. 😉"
Advay chuckled, tossing his phone onto the bed.
He wasn't concerned with records. The next match, the next challenge—that's what mattered.
But one thing was clear.
The world was watching.
After the celebrations and media duties, Advay finally returned to his hotel room. The excitement of the win was still fresh, but now, he just wanted to unwind.