A First

‘Hesitation’

A newspaper cutting of our win and entering the semi-finals with four wickets to my name

  

It was 2006.  I entered the school premises and asked my father to return home since I could handle myself.  Standard seven to be exact.  The sports head had instructed me to report at five in the morning.  It was still half past four, dark and gloomy.  The gatekeeper was awake and told me to go to the end of the field.  Seeing that I was in my whites, he pointed me towards the school cricket team practice grounds. 

Never had I seen the school the way I saw it that morning.  A normal day would have me sleeping like a baby, wrapped around in my warmers.  But there I was, shivering all by myself.  I started walking as directed.  Halfway down the field, I stopped and turned back, wanting to return.  My nerves were beginning to get the better of me.  Suddenly, I heard a strong sound coming from the opposite end.  The sound got closer.  My palms got sweaty by then.  After a few seconds of silence, I could see a tall frame becoming clearer.  It was Mohit Kapoor, my first cricket coach. After a brief introduction, I felt better.  He accompanied me till we found the rest of the squad.  After formal handshakes, i figured everyone was humble; the coach jokingly stated that I was very much like the other newcomers who wanted to head back and had doubts before their first team practice.

My first ever tournament brought me a trophy while bagging 16 wickets in four matches

Soon I was running, jogging and bonding with an elite bunch that included the school prefects, vice-captains and some of school's most skilled cricketers. There were moments when they joked how they could easily rag me.  But what united us all was the 22 yard pitch where we were being trained to give the best for our school.  

That morning continues to influence my everyday life, every new beginning. It helps me throw myself into doing something that others hesitate to.  First football practice with the school or college team, my first day at a new job or a new city- every-time I feel that pinch of nervousness, I take myself back to that gloomy morning.  A goodbye to father, gatekeeper directing me to the field, self doubts half way down the path, and a strong frame introducing himself.  

On to the extreme top left is our school sports head Mr. Ram Krishna while to the extreme top right is my first and only cricket coach Mr. Mohit Kapoor