Chapter 93 :
The second day at the MCG began under perfect cricketing conditions—blue skies, a firm pitch, and a buzzing crowd that had already witnessed a historic knock from Advay Rai.
India resumed at 412/4, with Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant at the crease, both looking to accelerate before the declaration.
Pat Cummins charged in, firing a 145 km/h delivery on a hard length, but Rahane stood tall, opening the face of the bat and guiding it past gully for four!
Harsha Bhogle (commentary): "And that's a statement first up! No signs of slowing down from India!"
Josh Hazlewood bowled a perfect outswinger, but Rahane leaned forward, drove it beautifully past extra cover—FOUR! The ball raced away, and the Indian fans in the MCG roared.
At the other end, Rishabh Pant was playing his natural game. Nathan Lyon tossed one up, trying to lure him into a mistake.
Pant stepped out, got to the pitch, and launched it high over long-on! The ball sailed deep into the stands!
Ricky Ponting (commentary): "You can never keep Pant quiet! He's taken the aerial route again!"
By the 105th over, India had reached 487/4.
Rahane, on *84, looked set for a century, but a moment of brilliance from Australia cut him short. Starc pitched one short outside off, and Rahane mistimed an upper cut straight to third man!
The Australian fielders celebrated, knowing how crucial that wicket was.
Pant continued his onslaught, switch-hitting Lyon for four, before falling on 67, attempting another six.
Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin then played quickfire cameos, adding valuable runs, while Bumrah defended solidly.
By the 120th over, India had crossed 580.
Virat Kohli, watching from the dressing room, gave the signal to declare.
The Indian team walked off to a standing ovation, their batting lineup once again proving too strong for Australia.
Harsha Bhogle (commentary): "India declares at a massive total! Another dominant performance with the bat, and now it's time for their world-class bowling attack to take charge!"
The Australian openers padded up, knowing they had a monumental challenge ahead.
Australia walked out to bat, staring at a mountain of runs as the Indian bowlers gathered in a huddle, ready to strike. The MCG crowd was alive, a sea of blue dominating the stands, while the Australian fans watched anxiously, hoping for a fightback.
Jasprit Bumrah steamed in for the first over, his signature smooth run-up leading into a deadly in-swinging yorker at 144 km/h.
First ball—David Warner trapped in front! A loud appeal! Given out!
Warner reviewed instantly, but the replay showed three reds—OUT!
Harsha Bhogle (commentary): "That's how you start! Bumrah strikes first ball! Australia's nightmare continues!"
The Indian players swarmed Bumrah, while Warner shook his head in frustration as he walked back for a golden duck.
Mohammed Shami, fired up from the other end, got Joe Burns in his first over, a sharp outswinger that took the outside edge straight into Pant's gloves!
Australia 8/2 in the third over.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith tried to rebuild, putting together a patient stand, playing cautiously, leaving anything unnecessary, defending solidly.
Then, in the 14th over, Advay Rai was introduced into the attack.
First ball—a beautiful off-break, drifting in, gripping and turning past Labuschagne's outside edge!
The very next delivery, he tossed it wider, inviting the drive. Labuschagne took the bait, edged it straight to slip! Kohli dived low and took it cleanly!
Advay punched the air as the Indian fans erupted!
Ricky Ponting (commentary): "Advay Rai again! The man can do it all! Australia in deep trouble!"
Smith continued fighting, playing a gritty knock, but wickets kept tumbling at the other end.
Ashwin removed Travis Head, Bumrah returned to bounce out Tim Paine, and soon, Australia crumbled to 156 all out before the end of Day 2!
India enforced the follow-on, sending Australia straight back in to bat on the morning of Day 3.
The Australian openers walked out, determined to put up a fight. Warner, desperate to make up for his first-innings failure, took an aggressive approach, smashing boundaries early.
But Bumrah had other plans.
He fired in a short ball at Warner's ribs, and the left-hander mistimed his hook shot—straight to fine leg!
Harsha Bhogle (commentary): "Warner falls again! India has an early breakthrough!"
Smith and Labuschagne looked better this time, rotating strike, punishing loose deliveries.
Shami came into the attack, and in the 22nd over, he produced magic.
A full delivery, angling in, then straightening just enough. Labuschagne played down the wrong line. Top of off-stump—gone!
By Tea on Day 3, Australia was at 152/4, still trailing by 312 runs.
The evening session was pure carnage.
Ashwin deceived Cameron Green in flight, trapping him lbw. Shami and Bumrah then rattled through the lower order, bouncing out the tailenders.
Australia bowled out for 211.
INDIA WINS BY AN INNINGS AND 198 RUNS!
The Indian players celebrated, shaking hands with the Australians, while the fans in the MCG exploded in cheers, waving the tricolor proudly.
Ricky Ponting (commentary): "A ruthless, dominant display from India! Two Tests, two crushing wins, and they've completely outplayed Australia!"
Advay, standing near the boundary, smirked, taking in the moment, before walking back to the dressing room with his teammates.
Back at the team hotel in Melbourne, Advay sat comfortably on the couch, Ananya curled up next to him, both of them glued to their phones, scrolling through the flood of reactions on Twitter and Instagram. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the screens casting a warm hue over their faces. The air still carried the afterglow of India's crushing victories, and as always, the internet had delivered.
Ananya nudged him, holding back a laugh. "Oh my God, look at this tweet—'Advay Rai should be declared illegal in Test cricket. This is just unfair.'"
Advay smirked, stretching his legs out. "Illegal? That's a first."
She scrolled down and laughed even harder. "Here's another one—'Forget strategies, Australia's only hope is for Advay to voluntarily retire from cricket.'"
Advay chuckled, shaking his head. "Not happening."
They switched over to Instagram, where the memes were in full force.
@cricketmemesofficial:
"Australia thought the pink ball would help them. Advay Rai: 'Oh, it helps… me.'"
(Attached was a picture of Advay casually shrugging after his 400* in the first Test.)
@espncricinfo:
"Advay Rai at the MCG - 213 runs, an entire country traumatized, and not a single sign of struggle."
Ananya burst out laughing. "They're actually making it sound like you committed a crime."
Advay grinned, scrolling further. "Here's one—'Advay Rai should stop batting. Let someone else have fun too.'"
Ananya snorted. "You? Stop batting? Yeah, right."
@barmyarmy:
"We thought England had it bad, but mate… Australia is in deep trouble. Advay Rai, take a bow."
@davidwarner31 (David Warner himself):
"Petition to never let Advay Rai play in Australia again. Please sign below. 😭"
Advay raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Warner actually posted this? Respect."
Ananya giggled. "At least he has a sense of humor about it."
Then came the videos—compilations of his best shots from both Tests, slowed down, with dramatic music playing in the background. One clip showed his straight drive against Starc in Adelaide, another captured his nonchalant six off Lyon, and of course, his trademark shrug celebration.
@bleacherreport:
"Advay Rai isn't playing Test cricket. He's playing something else entirely."
Ananya turned to him, eyes still glued to her phone. "You know, it's actually insane to think about. Three years ago, you were just some kid breaking school records. Now, you're the biggest name in cricket."
Advay glanced at her, smirking. "What did they expect?"
She let out a dramatic groan. "STOP. SAYING. THAT."
He laughed, pulling her closer, as they continued scrolling, soaking in the reactions, knowing that the cricketing world was still in complete disbelief over what had just happened.
As Advay continued scrolling, something caught his eye—a fan edit that had already gone viral.
It was a compilation of every shrug celebration he had ever done, from his record-breaking IPL season to his legendary Test performances against Australia. Each shrug was perfectly synced to a banger track, the beat dropping just as he smirked at the camera in each clip.
The edit started with his first-ever shrug from the U-19 World Cup, then cut to his IPL dominance, followed by his nonchalant shrug after his 400 in Adelaide* and then again at the MCG after his double century. The final clip? A slowed-down version of him shrugging at the MCG crowd while Kohli laughed next to him.
Ananya, looking at his screen, gasped. "OH MY GOD. This is elite. You HAVE to post this."
Advay grinned, shaking his head in amusement.
He tapped "Add to Story," reposting the edit with a simple caption:
"What did they expect? 🤷♂️🔥"
Within seconds, notifications started flooding in.
@virat.kohli: "😂😂😂 You've officially taken over the internet."
@rohitsharma45: "Bro, even I can't compete with this level of branding. 👏"
@yuzi_chahal23: "Teach me this power. I need it."
@davidwarner31: "Petition to ban the shrug next. 😭😭😭"
Ananya laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, you just broke the internet again."
Advay leaned back, smirking. "What did they expect?"
She picked up a pillow and smacked him with it.
On January 15, 2021, as the fourth and final Test between India and Australia kicked off, Advay Rai was nowhere near the stadium. Having been rested for the match after India had already secured the series, he was instead lounging on the couch in his hotel room, watching a movie with Ananya.
The TV in the background showed the first session of play, but neither of them were paying much attention. Ananya, curled up beside him, was more interested in the movie they had picked, while Advay—remote in hand—kept switching between the film and the match.
"Can you just pick one?" she complained, nudging him.
"Multitasking," he replied casually, switching the channel back to cricket for the tenth time in twenty minutes.
"Oh yeah? What happened on-screen just now?" she challenged.
Advay paused for a second, then confidently said, "Gill hit a cover drive."
She glanced at the TV, which was very clearly showing an ad. "Liar."
Advay grinned, finally setting the remote aside. "Fine, fine. I'll focus."
She smirked, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Good. Now enjoy the movie and stop pretending like you're not itching to be out there."
Advay chuckled, but deep down, she wasn't wrong.
As the movie ended, Advay stretched his arms and turned to Ananya, smirking. "Wanna head out?"
She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Where to?"
"Anywhere. Just not here."
Ananya grinned, getting up. "Alright, let's go."
They walked into the bathroom together, steam filling the air as the warm water ran. They helped each other wash off the laziness of the afternoon, small touches lingering, playful smiles exchanged.
Once they were done, Advay slipped on a black cashmere t-shirt and a pair of denim jeans, his sharp jawline and perfectly styled hair giving him an effortless, striking look.
Ananya, stepping out of the wardrobe, had chosen a black crop top paired with denim, her hair in soft waves, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
Advay gave her a once-over, smirking. "Matching outfits? Planned or coincidence?"
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Just good taste."
He chuckled, grabbing his watch and slipping it on. "Let's go before I change my mind and just drag you back to the couch."
She laughed, linking her arm with his as they stepped out of the hotel room, ready to take on the night.
The night breeze was cool, the city lights reflecting off the smooth surface of the red Porsche 911 Cabriolet, its open roof making the ride even more exhilarating. Advay had one hand on the wheel, the other resting comfortably near the gear shift, while Ananya sat beside him, her hair flowing with the wind, a soft smile playing on her lips.
The streets of Melbourne were alive, people walking, neon lights glowing, but inside the car, it felt like their own little world.
"Less than a month left," Ananya said, breaking the silence, her voice soft but excited.
Advay, keeping his eyes on the road, smirked. "For what?"
She rolled her eyes, nudging his arm. "Our wedding, you idiot."
He grinned, shifting gears smoothly. "Oh, that? I thought you were talking about me lifting another trophy soon."
She gasped dramatically. "Advay!"
He laughed, glancing at her briefly. "Relax, Mrs. Soon-to-be-Rai. Of course, I know."
She crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed. "You better. Or I'll make you wear something ridiculous at the wedding."
He chuckled, slowing down slightly as they reached an intersection. "Not happening. You already know I'll show up looking better than you."
Ananya scoffed. "Oh, we'll see about that."
The light turned green, and Advay pressed down on the accelerator, the Porsche roaring down the road.
"So, where are we on the wedding plans?" he asked.
She sighed, shaking her head. "It's all mostly set, but our moms and Aditi are handling everything. They won't even let me do much."
He smirked. "Good. You'll finally know what it feels like when I tell you to just sit back and watch me play."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, fine. But at least tell me one thing."
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
She turned to him, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Are you nervous?"
Advay thought for a second, then smirked. "What did they expect?"
Ananya groaned, throwing her head back. "I swear, if you say that one more time—"
Advay laughed, speeding up slightly as they continued cruising through the Melbourne night, the city glowing around them, but in that moment, nothing else mattered.