The game was just settling down when a moment that was least expected snatched the limelight. When Chennai Super Kings was looking to overcome a minor setback against Punjab Kings, a young batter who had just entered the field to replace the former batter at number three soon found himself in a very strange situation.
Ayush Mhatre was inspected to check his bat before being faced with a single ball. What would have been a normal check-up was a matter of tension in a short time since his bat failed to clear the test the first time. To a debutant, this would have been upsetting, the type of moment that causes attention to be distracted even before the innings started.
But Mhatre responded in a different way.
He did not allow the situation to get to him but instead stood his ground and requested a recheck and at last got the green light to proceed with the same bat. That little thing which might have remained unnoticed in the future turned out to be the turning point of his night.
Since what was a follow up was total domination.
Mhatre did not hurry towards big hits since he came in with an early wicket. He was slow, knew the terms, and proceeded to change gears slowly. After getting settled, he could then attack with confidence, and he could attack experienced bowlers and found boundaries without any trouble.
Although the attention was at first on the drama, it soon shifted to his batting. He was the star of the innings with a knock of half a century in no time, hitting each ball well, and making intelligent use of the ball. When he walked back having scored 73, the story had totally differed, not as a player who was being questioned about his bat, but as a player who had taken control with his bat.
At the other end, CSK had initial setbacks, with a dismal performance by Sanju Samson, and the input of Mhatre was even greater. He did not only score runs, he made the innings steady and provided his team with a platform.
Players in cricket are known to be remembered by moments. To Ayush Mhatre, it was not about a fifty. It was regarding the way things can shift so fast -how questionable it used to be, how interrupted it used to be.
And one innings is sometimes all it takes to make yourself known.
