The recent Ranji Trophy Super League encounter between holders Mumbai and Group A leaders Tamil Nadu threw up a pleasant surprise.
Before you jump the gun and think it is either S Badrinath's splendid 250 or Wasim Jaffer's equally impressive 141, it is imperative to clarify that it's neither.
Both the batsmen, or for that matter Murali Vijay who hit an effortless ton in the second essay, are known for their heavy scoring at the domestic level. So them scoring more is hardly a surprise.
Rather, had they got out cheaply, it would have been a surprise. For the wicket at the Mumbai Cricket Assocation ground, at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, was so placid and lifeless that scoring was a canter.
The batsmen dominated the first three days and the latter half of the final day as well.
And that brings us back to the surprise -- a surprise that was unleashed by Tamil Nadu on the fourth morning.
A surprise that ensured the only noteworthy performance with the ball in the four stipulated days. A surprise that came in the form of a 16-year-old slow left-arm orthodox bowler. A surprise named R Aushik Srinivas!
The teenager's figures of seven for 107 sparked Mumbai's collapse -- the hosts lost their last seven wickets for the addition of just 58 runs, and ensured Tamil Nadu a crucial first innings lead and three points to go with it.
Srinivas, whose tally included amongst others the vital wickets of Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane, was palpably excited about the achievement. But, as he started answering questions, his wisdom seemed more than that of a 16-year-old, even though his discomfort at the sudden media attention more than compensated for it.
"I enjoyed it when the game was over," said Srinivas, when asked which of the seven wickets he enjoyed the most.
"It was important for us to do well in this match."
Coming from a family that preferred academics more, Srinivas attaches a certain pride to his career choice.
"I am the first person to pick up any sport in my family," he explained, adding, "I now play regular first division cricket in Chennai."
Considering his background, was it difficult for him to persuade his family?
"I was doing well in my academics -- got 87 per cent marks in Class 10," said Srinivas. "So, it wasn't a problem convincing my family."
His family could be convinced easily, but his coaches proved difficult to appease.
"I was a medium pacer to begin with," explained Srinivas about his initial days in the game, a story that resembles that of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
"But my coaches (Narayan and Rajeev) felt I would do well if I switched to spin.
"I took to spin then and am happy that I made the switch."
The change worked and soon the teenager was noticed and considered promising by people who mattered.
"I saw him in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Associaton (TNCA) academy two years ago," recollects WV Raman, the coach of the Tamil Nadu Ranji team.
"But I kept an embargo on all the coaches from telling him anything. I knew the guy had something in him, but he should not have been distracted early," he adds.
Srinivas has as many as 20 wickets in six matches and his season is still not over, enough reasons to make the people who believed in him feel vindicated.
But his state coach, at the same time, is keen to ensure that so much attention at such an early age doesn't result in complacency.
"This is just a start, we can't really put pressure on him," explained Raman. "There is a lot of cricket he has to play; it is a long journey and he has just started.
"But he does have discipline and is learning to bowl with a certain degree of responsibility."
Photographs: Bikash Mohapatra
