Shastri nicked to the keeper.

"And that's another one-a big one. India have lost both their openers within the first 10 overs."

The West Indies pace quartet launched what could only be called a revengeful attack on the Indian batsmen.

Jimmy dodged a bullet-like delivery from Roberts.

"Fiery Andy! Fiery!" yelled Dujon from behind.

"That one hit Vengsarkar right in the ribs," said Farokh, not sounding pleased himself.

"At least it's restricted to the ribs," said Kiri sarcastically.

"For now," said Sunny ominously.

Dilip, who was sitting between the two, chose not to comment.

"India rebuilding quite well...Indians thrilled by this 50-run partnership between Jimmy and Dilip."

The crowd and the dugout were on their feet, clapping.

"Oh that was a fast one from Malcolm Marshall," said Farokh as Dilip dodged one.

Jimmy looked back as Dilip and Marshall exchanged a stare, expression calculative.

Dilip hit Marshall for two more boundaries, whereupon the latter walked up to him.

"Sunny knows about me here. You'll soon find out too."

Dilip looked back mockingly.

"This is exactly what he shouldn't have done," Jimmy whispered to Kapil and Madan.

"Oh yes, Jim pa?" said Kapil sarcastically as Maddi said, "Says the man who smiled at 150 kmph bowlers after taking them to the cleaners and who-"

"Came down to bat with six stitches and the played the first shot-" began Kapil.

"A hook," said Maddi. "Off Holding."

"Good shot, Dilip," called Jimmy.

"Look," said Kapil. "Did you or did you not tell him this when he was staring down Marshall?"

"Did," admitted Jimmy.

"There you go," said Kapil and Madan, satisfied.

"Dilip standing up to one of the fastest and most hostile overs seen in the World Cup." Farokh's words were just an omen about what was to come.

Everyone in the theatre winced as the next ball hit Dilip on the chin with the sickening thud and he collapsed.

*****************

Jimmy ran in from the other end, looking petrified.

"Ball after ball after ball of hostile short-paced bowling, Dilip Vengsarkar simply could not avoid that one."

While crossing Marshall, Jimmy did the mistake of glancing back at him. Marshall flicked a bit of flesh from the ball and gave Jimmy a what-can-you-do-to-me? look.

Exactly like real-life Jimmy would've done-

Jimmy turned away without a word and knelt down beside Dilip and called for the stretcher.

"He's wincing in pain on the ground..."

Kirti came running, leading the stretcher as Dujon and Jimmy helped Dilip take off his helmet.

As Dilip was being led away, Kirti's arm around him, the former turned back to look at Jimmy, who just looked back, unblinking.

The subtle omen was clear.

"If I was a bowler, I'd be running away in the opposite direction if Jim pa looked at me like that," said Kirti.

"Kirti," said Kapil. "You are a bowler."

"Oops," drawled Kirti. "I forgot."

Maddi rolled his eyes at the ceiling of the dark theatre.

****************

"Little bit faster, sir," requested Man bhai to the cab driver as Dilip sat slumped against him, a bloody handkerchief pressed against his chin.

Back at the ground, Marshall's fiery delivery hit Patla's finger and even through the glove, managed to draw blood.

"Marshall not letting up on his pace," said Farokh.

"Well, he didn't know he was bowling to the best player of pace in the world," Cheeka called around Kapil to Jimmy, beaming.

"The stupidest player of pace in the world," muttered Kapil, who, even 35 years later, had not forgiven Jim pa for trying to hook all the most dangerous deliveries and making them see him lying unconscious on the depressing white hospital beds about a dozen times over his career.

"C'mon, Kapsie," said Jimmy.

Saqib, who had gone into an other-worldly zone by now, gave up gazing at Jim pa or the screen and fixed his eyes at his shoes, whose outline he could just vaguely make out.

Jimmy took Marshall on.

"Pulled away for 4 by one of the best players of pace..."

Marshall tried to give Jimmy a stare.

Jimmy smiled back.

***************

It made the entire first row smile, too.

The smile Mohinder Amarnath used to flash at pacers after taking them on did not use to be mocking or triumphant in any way. The undemonstrative, sweet smile, however, contrived to freak out bowlers more than any mockery or triumph could have done.

"That terrifying smile," said Kapil in satisfaction, quite having forgotten he'd been calling Jim pa stupid a while back for this very reason.

"It wasn't terrifying," said Jimmy drily.

"It wasn't?" asked Kapil. "Imagine being Malcolm Marshall, just having bowled a 150 kmph delivery."

"Imagine the batsman hooking you to the boundary-and smiling at you sweetly," completed Maddi. "Wouldn't you be terrified?"

*****************

Jimmy took blows on his body for half the deliveries and attacked the other half.

"With Jimmy Amarnath still at the crease, there is still a chance for India of taking up the challenge."

Farokh's voice made Man bhai wrench his eyes away from Dilip on the hospital bed and look around at the TV in the background.

Jimmy continued taking the bowlers on, fearless like he had always been.

"And that brings up the fifty for Amarnath...the balls are coming in like bullets, but ever since Dilip Vengsarkar was hit, Jimmy Amarnath is giving it back to the West Indian pacers."

******************

The shots were so authentic, and even the raising of the bat was so authentic and looked so real that Jimmy turned around to grin at Saqib.

Saqib, who'd stopped staring at the outline of his shoes and was now staring at Jimmy sir again, grinned back uncertainly, wondering that it meant.

After Gomes dismissed Patil, Kapil joined Jimmy at the crease and continued building the innings.

"The captain and the vice-captain put on a brave fifty-run partnership..."

Then, however, Jimmy ended up nicking to first slip.

"A valiant innings of 80 comes to an end. Battered on the elbow, chest and even on the face, Amarnath stood and hooked bravely at every opportunity for three hours."

The crowd gave him a standing ovation. Kapil looked on as Jimmy walked away, expression both upset and proud.

India folded up soon afterwards to lose by 66 runs.

Farokh's words summed up the feeling in the camp.

"The ground beneath your feet must've stabilized a little more after this," grouched Kapil; this was one of the matches whose losses still rankled.

"No," confessed Jimmy.

"No?"

"In this match-we fought," said Roger unexpectedly. "We didn't fold in. I don't know about the others, Kaps, but this was the match from when I started believing in your belief that we could win."

"West Indies have had their revenge. Their key batsman in hitting form and their fearsome pace attack being too much for the Indians. Today it looked like a bloody battlefield. India in deep trouble now, having lost two matches in a row."

***********

A/N: Short chapter because the next chapter is going to be kind of special (for me) and I didn't want to cram it in here.

Even this chapter was so special for me too--this match. I guess everyone who has watched the movie, even if they were indifferent to Jimmy up to this point, would fall in love with him conclusively after this.