ICT ONE-SHOTS (FRIENDSHIP)

The best pace duo (Bhuvi-Bumrah)

Bhuvi wondered why and how the role of playing mother to the kids always fell on him.

First there was Hardik he'd had to calm down and comfort after Jaddu ran him out. And now, as he was walking down the corridor for dinner--Virat had insisted they eat together, that is, mourn together--the door beside his room was stubbornly closed.

Jassi's sobs could be heard quite clearly if you stood outside the door and listened quietly, which was what Bhuvi was doing just then.

Bhuvi knocked loudly. "Jassi?"

Jassi couldn't shout 'go away!' like Virat would have; nor could he just ignore Bhuvi like some of the others would have done--he was far too mild and soft natured for that.

He opened the door.

Bhuvi felt awful as he saw the kid's crumpled and heartbroken face. Clearly he had been crying for hours.

"What happened?" asked Jassi tearfully.

"Well, I came to call you for dinner, but clearly you're in no state to go down," said Bhuvi.

Jassi's eyes started filling with tears again.

"Stop crying, Jass...these things happen," said Bhuvi. And wasn't it true? Hadn't they lost knockout matches continuously for four years from 2014 to 2017?

"But it was all my fault! I blew it away!" sobbed Jassi.

Bhuvi stepped inside and closed the door, and went to sit on the bed.

"Come here," he said, gesturing at Jassi to sit beside him.

Jassi obeyed without a word.

"You think it was your fault?" asked Bhuvi quietly. "I could say the same, you know. So could Ash, Jaddu and Hardik. At least you got Zaman out once, which is more than what we can say."

"But it was no good--it was a no ball," Jassi's voice rose to a wail at the last two words. "It was my fault!"

"No, Jass," said Bhuvi, putting an arm string Jassi's heaving shoulders. "It wasn't your fault. Not yours alone."

Jassi's head was bent and he was still sobbing hard.

Poor kid, thought Bhuvi, feeling extremely sorry for him. He was only 23, after all, too young to deal with losing a final to Pakistan. He was far too young for the crushing weight of expectations that every talented cricketer of India had to bear.

"Listen to me, Jassi," said Bhuvi gently. "Today's loss...it was Rohit, Shikhar and Virat's fault for getting out so fast...it was the middle order's fault for not being more cautious when the top order got out...it was all us bowlers' fault for letting them get to 330...it was Jaddu's fault for running out Hardik... Hardik's fault for being the most expensive... your fault for bowling the no ball..my fault for failing to give us the breakthrough..."

Jassi was listening to Bhuvi in surprise.

"...it was our fault, don't you see? The entire team's fault," said Bhuvi firmly.

"But if I hadn't bowled that no ball..." began Jassi.

"If Rohit and Virat had put up a 200 stand..." said Bhuvi, imitating his tone.

"I'm not sure I agree with you on this," said Jassi, sounding confused.

"I've had a few more years of experience, haven't I? Why don't you just take my word for it?"

"I..."

"No one in the team thinks it's your fault. It's the team's fault; it always is. That's why we're a team, after all."