Chairman of the selection committee, Lalu Yadav, sat in the pavilion clad in a flaming red T-shirt, drawing photographers in droves.

“Are you sure he is our best bet as captain and the opening batsman,” whispered UPA XI’s team manager, Sonia Gandhi. Lalu mumbled something that could not be deciphered , partly because his mouth was full of betel juice and also because Madhu Koda had just emerged with the burly Sudhir Mahto as his partner to open the innings to a thunderous applause.

Lalu sought to reassure Sonia by rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Sonia sighed and sat back to watch UPA XI take on NDA XI at Ranchi.

As the batsmen made their slow progress to the pitch, Koda looked thoughtful and grim. But Mahto grinned from ear to ear and would often look back to the pavilion, raise his bat and pump his fist into the air, as if he had just scored a half century.

In a sense it was a milestone for him to be designated Koda’s deputy and he enjoyed basking under the sun. “All you do is to block the ball with your body, if necessary,” counselled Koda softly while leaving Mahto at the non-striker’s end.

When he finally took guard, there was a hush in the stadium. Although wiry and athletic, Madhu Koda looked distinctly vulnerable as the taller and better-built Arjun Munda prepared to bowl the first delivery.

Everyone expected a short ball and a nasty one at that. Would Koda be able to duck and get out of harm’s way? Or, would he, like Babulal Marandi, have to retire hurt ?

Square Leg umpire Inder Singh Namdhari had his trade-mark smile plastered on his lips as he watched the proceedings.

There was a collective gasp as Munda ran in to bowl his first delivery. But Munda seemed to slow down as he passed the umpire, Syed Sibtey Razi, and delivered a gentle, slower ball that pitched on a good length and sailed past the stumps into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Koda offered no stroke.

The next ball was even slower, kept low but the batsman managed to push it back gently. The third ball went past the leg stump while the fourth was a bouncer but so short that Koda had no trouble weaving out of the way.

Why would Munda cut down on his speed, wondered Geoff Boycott in the commentary box. But neither R.K. Anand, the other commentator, nor Shibu Soren, the expert, had a clue. “I wonder why Munda winked at the umpire while walking back to his run-up,” reflected Soren while nodding his head thoughtfully.

The mystery of the wink was resolved only after the brief Assembly session.

Munda confided to his team-mates in the NDA that he and Koda played for the same English county and hence he knows a thing or two about Koda that others didn’t. Madhu Koda, he said, is excruciatingly slow in scoring and bats as if he is playing in a Fivehundred500 tournament rather than the Twenty20. He, therefore, is unlikely to adapt to the 50-over match. And rather than risk sending him out of the ground and allow a more aggressive batsman to come in, it would help NDA XI if Koda continues to be at the crease, Munda explained. “ The longer he stays there, the better it is for us,” he added with another wink.

The match was interrupted often as the other opening batsman, Mahto, complained of cramps after every five overs and insisted on getting back to the pavilion. To a worried Koda he explained that it was just a ploy to try out his new pairs of suits and shirts. “ Let me see which branded shirt gets photographed most,” he said before hopping back the first time. NDA XI complained to Razi and the square leg umpire, Ahmed Patel, who had replaced Namdhari who went out complaining of an upset stomach. But they shrugged. Rules do not prevent batsmen to change their shirts during the match, they pointed out.

In the commentary box, Soren appeared bitter. This match is a farce, he commented. Koda is just occupying the crease, not scoring runs and thereby making it even more difficult for later batsmen. The least the team manager could do, he said hopefully, is to send word to Koda to either ‘hit out’ or ‘get out’. Drafted as an ‘expert’ commentator, Soren believed he still has a lot to give to cricket. He would not mind slipping into Greg Chappell’s shoes, he had told Sonia, trying to remain casual. But there was no reaction from her.

Umpires need to keep their eyes open. But Syed Sibtey Razi from Rae Bareli would not take his sunglasses off. That way, he looked thoughtful and nobody quite knew whether he was watching the ball or the giant screen that showed cheerleaders dancing. In any case he had been told by BCCI president Shivraj Patil against allowing any LBW decision against UPA’s batsmen. So it did not quite matter if he had his sunglasses on. If the batsman was bowled or caught in the deep, there was the square-leg umpire and the third umpire to give the decision, he reasoned.

Koda, meanwhile, had started scoring runs. He would nudge and run to Delhi. Any ball on the leg stump, he would glance and make a mad scramble to Delhi. Anything slightly outside the off stump, he would cut and scamper to Delhi. His running between Ranchi and Delhi, admitted Soren grudgingly, was getting better by the day. The pitch was getting slower by the over and neither Sarayu Roy’s googlies nor Radhakrishna Kishore’s leg cutters were able to dislodge the bails.

Bandhu Tirkey and Anosh Ekka, both padded up, looked anxious in the pavilion. Every time the camera panned on them, they would beam, do some shadow practice , then raise their arms and jump. They were fitter than Koda and could bat better, they impatiently told people around them. But the umpire seemed in no mood to give Koda out and the NDA’s bowlers appeared benign. It was clear that NDA wanted Koda to keep batting. But then unless Koda got out, there was no way for Bandhu or Anosh to display their batting prowess. Both kept looking at the manager and the coach, —hoping they would signal Koda to get out. But something on their Left was obviously bugging them as Sonia and Lalu fidgeted, muttered to each other and kept looking to their Left , instead of watching Koda bat.

Bhanu Pratap Sahi, the twelfth man, came and sat next to Bandhu. “ They are both engrossed in fighting the ‘leftist’ bugs; you have to draw their attention ,” he muttered. Bandhu thought for a moment before taking out a piece of paper, on which he wrote :

“ Idhar Koda hai, Udhar Koda hai; Jidhar dekho, udhar Koda hai, Idhar-udhar bus Koda hi Koda hai; Jidhar Koda nahin hain, udhar kal Kodega” ( It’s dug here, there, everywhere/ Where it’s not dug, it will be dug tomorrow). Anosh looked quizzically at Bandhu , who impatiently clarified, “ Koda is a noun and also a verb in the past tense …I am merely using a pun …dug or dung.” Anosh looked unconvinced but Bandhu felt it would be enough to signal something is amiss.

Meanwhile, there had been a bowling change. Babulal Marandi had been given the ball after UPA’s protests that he was a ‘borrowed’ player was turned down by the match referee. In his first over, Marandi, fresh from Koderma, breathed fire. He had Koda in knots. Koda tried to hook a rising ball and fell down. Another ball grazed his helmet. A third accidentally hit the outstretched bat and streaked to the boundary. But he survived. “ He will not survive the next over,” muttered Marandi under his breath.

But, miraculously, in the next over Marandi appeared to have lost all his fire. The balls still flew but they no longer troubled Koda. Marandi appeared to be in great discomfort and was scratching himself all over. He was in a great hurry to finish the second over and sought permission to rush back to the pavilion. Munda, commented Soren, stood behind Marandi as the latter prepared to bowl. And it did appear as if Munda held the bowler for a moment and took the opportunity to put something inside his shirt.

Tension mounted as the final over approached. While Koda lost Mahto and Dehati at the other end, he kept his end intact. When the last over started, UPA XI required just 16 runs in six balls to win the third one-dayer. The batsman was Stephen Marandi. He took a wild swipe at the first ball he received but, luckily for him and the UPA, it failed to connect. The second ball hit a swivelling Marandi on the pad and, without looking for the ball, he made a dash for the other end before Koda sent him back. “ We should have sent out Alamgir Alam to bat,” complained Pradeep Balmuchu in the pavilion.

But as Girinath Singh and Annapurna Devi left the VIP Box, unable to bear the suspense and convinced that the match was lost, the third ball of the over was being bowled. It was short and fast, rising sharply. It caught the bottom of Stephen’s wildly swinging bat and went for a six over fine leg. Three balls to go and 10 runs to be scored. The next ball resulted in an over-throw and yielded three precious runs.

Now there were just two balls remaining and seven runs for a win. Koda drove the ball to extra cover and took two runs comfortably. The crowd went wild. “ East Singhbhum or the West, Koda is the best” read a colourful banner. Koda and Stephen were holding a mid-wicket conference. “ If I have to score a six off the last ball,” said Koda calmly, “ we have to ensure there is no Third Man and the next ball is delivered fast and pitched on the off-stump.”

“ I am not bowling to you,” protested Stephen, “ how can I decide how the bowler is going to deliver the ball and how Arjun Munda adjusts his field.” Koda looked quietly at Stephen before asserting, “ You forget that I receive a daily briefing from the Special Branch and I know you have been in touch with Munda and his team. If I don’t score the winning runs, then you too lose out on the bonus and the winner’s prize. So, think it over.”

Before a dazed Stephen could react, the umpire walked up to say that if the batsmen fail to return to their respective crease, he would have no option but to award the match to the NDA by default. The sky was overcast and a few drops of rain had already fallen, he pointed out. So, let us get on with the last ball, he sternly said before walking back.

Stephen looked at Munda standing at Mid-off and threw up his hands. Munda was by his side in three long strides. “ What’s up ,” he asked impatiently. Stephen quickly recounted what Koda had said and suggested that Munda allows Koda to complete his half-century and UPA XI to win the third one-dayer.

But as the crowd roared its disapproval over the delaying tactics, it began to drizzle. Koda sighed with relief and walked up to the umpire. “ You can either abandon the match or use the Duckworth-Lewis method to decide the winner…but for now, let us go back to the pavilion and wait for the rain to stop in Delhi,” he said firmly.

The match was stopped and the players trooped back to the pavilion. Watch out for the exciting climax and the last ball that remains to be bowled to decide the winner.