The flight to Colombo was short. The Indian team arrived in Sri Lanka and settled into their oceanfront hotel. The weather was hot and heavy with humidity, very similar to Chennai or Mumbai.
Down in the hotel lounge, Siddanth sat across a small table from Ravi Shastri. The BCCI had recently appointed Shastri as the new head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. The shift in the dressing room atmosphere following the change was immediate and massive.
Shastri was a stark contrast to his predecessor. He did not care about strict curfews, mandatory dress codes, or micro-managing a players.
Shastri leaned back comfortably in his chair, holding a cup of coffee. He let out his signature, booming laugh at a joke Siddanth had just made.
"Listen, Sid," Shastri said, waving his hand dismissively. "These boys already know how to play cricket. They are world champions. They don't need me standing over their shoulders with a ruler, telling them how to hold a bat or when to sleep. My job is just to keep the dressing room happy, keep their confidence sky-high, and give a few tips if someone is struggling."
"It is a good environment, Ravi bhai," Siddanth smiled. "The boys are much more relaxed. They are breathing easier."
"You are the captain, Sid," Shastri stated simply, pointing his coffee cup at Siddanth. "You run the team on the field. You have freedom to do whatever you want tactically. Set your fields, pick your bowlers, enforce the follow-on, whatever you need. If you need me to fire the boys up in the dressing room or take the pressure off you in the media, I will do it. Otherwise, this is your ship. Just go out there and smash them."
"I appreciate the backing, Ravi bhai," Siddanth nodded, feeling comfortable with the dynamic.
After the chat, Siddanth walked upstairs and dropped his heavy kit bag in his room. He walked over to the large glass window, looking out at the dark ocean, and pulled out his phone. He called Krithika.
"Did you land safely?" Krithika's voice came through the speaker. She sounded relaxed.
"Just reached the room," Siddanth said, unbuttoning his team polo. "How are you feeling today? Any new cravings?"
"No new cravings today," she laughed softly. "Just tired. Anjali came over to the farmhouse. She is currently trying to teach your mother how to use social media on her new tablet. It is a disaster."
Siddanth smiled, picturing the chaos in the living room. "Tell my mother to be careful before she accidentally live-streams her cooking."
"I will," Krithika said. "Get some rest, Sid. You have practice tomorrow."
"I will call you after the first day of the match," Siddanth promised.
The first Test match began at the Galle International Stadium. The ground was beautiful, flanked by the ocean on two sides and an old Dutch fort on the other.
Siddanth walked out to the middle with Rangana Herath, the Sri Lankan captain. Siddanth won the toss and chose to bat first.
Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund opened the batting for India. Dhawan was in a ruthless mood. He attacked the Sri Lankan fast bowlers from the very first over, hitting boundaries through the off-side. He scored a massive century, dominating the morning and afternoon sessions.
Cheteshwar Pujara anchored the other end flawlessly, accumulating runs with calm, steady defense.
When Dhawan finally got out for 190 runs, Siddanth walked down the pavilion steps.
The Sri Lankan spinners, Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera, were trying to exploit the rough patches on the pitch. Siddanth did not let them settle. He used his feet, stepping down the track to hit the ball over the infield. He played with a straight bat, hitting boundaries down the ground.
He built a fast, aggressive partnership with Pujara. Siddanth reached his half-century in just forty balls. He did not slow down. He swept the spinners and pulled the fast bowlers when they bowled short.
By the end of the first day, Siddanth was batting on 115. He had made batting look entirely effortless.
The next morning, he added another thirty runs before playing a loose shot and getting caught at cover for 145. India declared their innings at a massive 600.
It was time to bowl.
Siddanth took the new red ball. He marked his run-up. He bowled fast and straight. The coastal breeze helped the ball swing in the air.
In his second over, he bowled a full delivery to Dimuth Karunaratne. The ball swung away late. Karunaratne tried to defend it but got a thick outside edge. Wriddhiman Saha took a simple catch behind the stumps.
A few overs later, Siddanth bowled a sharp, rising bouncer to Kusal Mendis. Mendis tried to pull it, got a top edge, and Shikhar Dhawan caught the ball easily at square leg.
Siddanth broke the top order with raw pace. Then, he handed the ball to his spinners. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took over. They spun the ball sharply on the dry pitch, taking wickets at regular intervals.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 291. Siddanth enforced the follow-on.
In the second innings, the Indian spinners completely dismantled the Sri Lankan batting lineup. Sri Lanka was bowled out again on the fourth day. India won the first Test by 304 runs.
The team traveled to Colombo for the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.
Siddanth won the toss again and chose to bat.
This time, the pitch was much slower. The ball did not come onto the bat easily. The Indian top order had to work hard for their runs. KL Rahul and Pujara scored solid half-centuries, and Ajinkya Rahane scored a brilliant century.
Siddanth walked in to bat on the second day. He adapted to the slow pitch immediately. He did not try to hit the ball in the air. He played along the ground, finding the gaps and running hard between the wickets. He ground down the Sri Lankan bowlers under the hot sun.
He batted for hours, scoring 120 runs before the innings was declared at 622 for 9.
When Sri Lanka came out to bat, the pitch had become completely dry and abrasive. It was terrible for batting, but it was perfect for an old cricket ball.
Siddanth realized the new ball was not swinging. He told his fielders to keep one side of the ball completely dry and shine the other side.
By the thirtieth over, the ball was old and scuffed. Siddanth brought himself back into the attack.
He ran in and bowled a fast, full delivery to Dinesh Chandimal. The ball started outside the off-stump but reversed sharply in the air, crashing directly into the middle stump before Chandimal could even bring his bat down.
In his next over, he bowled a reverse-swinging yorker that trapped Angelo Mathews right in front of the stumps for an LBW.
Siddanth was relentless. He used the old ball to create havoc. The Sri Lankan batsmen could not read which way the ball was going to swing late in its path. Siddanth took five wickets in his spell, ripping through the middle and lower order.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 183.
India enforced the follow-on again. Ravindra Jadeja spun a web in the second innings, taking five wickets of his own. Sri Lanka collapsed entirely.
India won the second Test by an innings and 53 runs, officially securing the series victory.
That night in the hotel, Virat Kohli knocked on Siddanth's door.
"Door is open, Cheeku," Siddanth called out from his bed.
Kohli walked into the room and immediately collapsed onto the sofa with a heavy sigh. He kicked off his shoes and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl resting on the coffee table. "Man, my legs are dead. But that was a fun match."
"The spinners made it easy," Siddanth said, sitting up and drinking from a water bottle. "Ash and Jaddu are just playing with them on these dry pitches."
"Forget the spinners," Kohli laughed, taking a large bite of his apple. "That reverse swing you bowled today was filthy. Completely illegal. Chandimal didn't even see the ball before his stumps were gone."
"It was reversing nicely," Siddanth smirked.
"Are we rotating the boys for the final Test in Kandy?" Kohli asked.
"Yeah, let's rest Bhuvi and bring in Kuldeep," Siddanth decided. "A wrist spinner will do well there. And we give Hardik a debut. He's been carrying drinks for a month, he has too much energy."
"Hardik is going to lose his mind," Kohli grinned. "I'll go tell him to pack his kit."
The third and final Test match took place in Pallekele, near Kandy.
Siddanth won the toss. He chose to bat first again.
Shikhar Dhawan scored another brilliant century. KL Rahul scored a solid 85. When the middle order faltered slightly, Hardik Pandya walked in to bat for the first time in Test cricket.
Siddanth sat in the dressing room, watching the young all-rounder. Hardik played with total freedom. He hit boundaries and massive sixes against the spinners. He scored a blazing century, pushing India's total to 487.
Siddanth did not need to score heavily in this match. He contributed a quick 45 runs before getting out.
The Indian bowlers took over. Mohammed Shami bowled with great pace, and Kuldeep Yadav justified his selection by taking four wickets in the first innings with his wrist spin.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 135.
For the third time in the series, Siddanth enforced the follow-on.
The Sri Lankan batting lineup offered very little resistance in the second innings. Ravi Ashwin took four wickets, and Mohammed Shami picked up three.
Siddanth took the ball to finish the match. He bowled a fast, straight delivery to the last batsman, Lahiru Kumara. The ball hit the top of the off-stump, sending the bails flying into the air.
The match was over.
India won by an innings and 171 runs. They had completed a historic 3-0 series whitewash away from home.
The players shook hands on the field, smiling and congratulating each other. They walked toward the presentation area set up on the grass.
Shikhar Dhawan was given the Man of the Series award for his massive centuries.
"Siddanth Deva, the Indian captain," the presenter announced. "Please come up to collect the series trophy."
Siddanth walked up to the podium. He took the heavy, silver trophy.
"A 3-0 sweep, Siddanth," the presenter said. "You dominated every single match. How does it feel?"
"It is a great result for the team," Siddanth replied calmly into the microphone. "We played good cricket consistently. The batsmen put big runs on the board, and the bowlers took twenty wickets in every match. Hardik was fantastic on his debut, and the spinners were relentless. It was a complete team effort."
"You scored two centuries and took crucial wickets with reverse swing," the presenter noted. "Your own form is excellent."
"I just try to do my job for the team," Siddanth smiled lightly.
Siddanth took the trophy and walked back to his teammates. He handed the trophy directly to Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav, the youngest players in the squad. They lifted the cup high into the air as the team cheered loudly.
The photos were taken. The presentation was over.
Siddanth walked back to the dressing room. The red-ball series was officially done. He packed his white Test clothes to the bottom of his kit bag. He pulled out his blue training jerseys and placed them on top. The tour was not finished yet. They still had five ODIs and a T20 match to play against the Sri Lankans.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the wallpaper. It was a picture of them both him and his wife.
He wanted to go back to the quiet farmhouse, back to his kitchen to cook for his wife, and back to his underground server room to finish building the future. But the white-ball leg of the tour was waiting. He locked his phone, grabbed his bag, and got ready to finish the rest of the job.
---
The transition from the slow, grinding pace of Test cricket to the vibrant energy of white-ball cricket happened overnight. The Test specialists packed their heavy red-ball gear and flew back to India. The limited-overs squad arrived in Sri Lanka, bringing fresh energy to the dressing room.
MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Manish Pandey walked into the team hotel in Dambulla, dropping their bags in the lobby.
Siddanth Deva walked down the stairs to greet them.
"Mahi bhai," Siddanth smiled, hugging the veteran wicketkeeper. "Welcome to Sri Lanka."
"Good to be here, Sid," Dhoni replied, looking relaxed. "I saw the Test highlights. You guys finished the job perfectly."
"The pitch did most of the work," Siddanth said. He turned and patted Bumrah on the shoulder. "Are you ready? We have five ODIs and a T20."
"I am ready, skip," Bumrah nodded.
Ravi Shastri walked into the lobby, wearing his casual shorts and a polo shirt. He clapped his hands together loudly.
"Alright, boys!" Shastri boomed. "The red-ball business is done. Now we switch gears. We have a long white-ball series ahead of us. Get settled in your rooms, rest up tonight, and we hit the nets tomorrow."
The first One Day International took place at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The stadium was packed with enthusiastic Sri Lankan fans blowing horns and waving flags.
Siddanth won the toss and chose to bat first.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan opened the innings. Dhawan continued his excellent form from the Test series, hitting boundaries cleanly. Rohit took a bit of time to settle but soon joined the attack. They built a very solid opening partnership of 75 runs before Dhawan was run out due to a slight mix-up in the middle.
Virat Kohli walked in at number three. He looked completely focused. He rotated the strike with Rohit and punished the loose deliveries. Rohit scored a calm half-century before top-edging a pull shot. He was caught at deep square leg.
India was 130 for 2 in the twenty-second over.
Siddanth grabbed his bat and walked out of the dressing room. He batted at number four today. He met Kohli in the middle of the pitch.
"The pitch is holding up a bit," Kohli told him, tapping his bat. "The slower balls are gripping."
"I will take my time," Siddanth replied.
Siddanth took his guard. He did exactly what he promised. He did not play any aggressive shots early in his innings. He pushed the ball into the gaps for singles, rotating the strike constantly. Kohli anchored the other end, bringing up his own half-century.
Once Siddanth was perfectly set, he started shifting the gears. He used his feet against the Sri Lankan spinners, stepping out to drive them over the infield. He pulled the fast bowlers fiercely whenever they dropped short.
The partnership between Siddanth and Kohli crossed the 100-run mark effortlessly. Kohli eventually fell for a well-made 82, caught at mid-off.
MS Dhoni walked in next. He gave the strike to Siddanth, who was now in control of the match.
In the forty-fifth over, Siddanth hit a massive six over long-on, moving his score into the nineties.
In the forty-seventh over, Siddanth pushed a ball towards deep cover and jogged across for a double.
The Indian dressing room stood up and applauded.
"And there it is!" Harsha Bhogle announced cheerfully from the commentary box. "A brilliant century for Siddanth Deva! He anchors the innings and then finishes it with authority."
"This is not just any century, Harsha," Sunil Gavaskar added, his voice full of admiration. "Let us look at the history books. That is his 97th international century overall. But more importantly, that is his 49th century in One Day International cricket."
"He has done it," Harsha confirmed. "He has officially equaled the great Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most centuries in ODI history. What an unbelievable achievement by the Indian captain."
Siddanth took off his helmet, raised his bat to his teammates, and smiled. He put his helmet back on and continued batting. He hit two more boundaries before the innings ended.
India posted a massive total of 345 for 4. Siddanth remained unbeaten on 115 runs.
When Sri Lanka came out to chase, the Indian bowlers were ruthless. Jasprit Bumrah took early wickets with the new ball. Siddanth brought himself into the attack in the middle overs. He bowled fast and straight, completely dismantling the Sri Lankan middle order. He picked up three crucial wickets, conceding very few runs.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 216. India won the first ODI by 129 runs.
The teams traveled to Pallekele for the second ODI.
The stadium was nestled among the green hills. The weather was pleasant.
Sri Lanka won the toss this time and elected to bat first. They played with much more determination. Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka built a strong partnership at the top. They attacked the Indian spinners, pushing the score past 200.
Siddanth brought himself back into the attack. He used his slower cutters perfectly, deceiving the set batsmen. He took two wickets in his spell, breaking the momentum. Sri Lanka managed to post a challenging total of 285 runs in their fifty overs.
The Indian run chase started poorly.
Rohit Sharma was bowled by Lasith Malinga in the very first over. Shikhar Dhawan chased a wide ball and was caught at slip. Virat Kohli tried to counter-attack but missed a straight delivery from Akila Dananjaya and was given out LBW.
Suddenly, India was struggling at 54 for 3 in the tenth over. The Sri Lankan crowd was roaring. They sensed a massive upset.
Dhoni walked down the pavilion steps. The pressure was heavy, but his face remained completely calm.
He walked out to the middle and joined Siddanth.
"We need a partnership, Mahi Bhai," Siddanth said simply. "No risks for the next ten overs."
"Understood, Sid" Dhoni nodded.
Siddanth took his guard. He played with textbook defense. He respected the good deliveries. He pushed the ball for singles. He and Dhoni slowly repaired the damaged innings. They did not let the required run rate climb too high, but they did not play a single shot in the air.
They batted together for twenty overs, building a solid foundation.
Once the score crossed 150, Siddanth started to open up. He read the Sri Lankan spinners easily. He hit boundaries through the off-side with perfect placement.
Dhoni reached a patient half-century before getting caught in the deep for 65 runs.
Hardik Pandya walked in next. Siddanth took the responsibility of finishing the match. He started finding the boundary regularly. He hit Malinga for a straight drive. He pulled Dushmantha Chameera for a massive six over square leg.
In the forty-sixth over, Siddanth was batting on 98.
India needed just 12 runs to win the match.
Akila Dananjaya was bowling. Siddanth stepped forward, reached the pitch of the ball, and drove it beautifully through the gap at extra cover. The ball raced across the grass and hit the boundary rope.
Four runs.
The stadium announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, but the noise was immediately drowned out by the commentators.
"He does it!" Sunil Gavaskar roared from the broadcast box. "Siddanth Deva reaches his century! He rescues India from a top-order collapse and plays a phenomenal, match-winning innings!"
"And history is rewritten in Pallekele!" Harsha Bhogle joined in, his voice full of sheer excitement. "That is his 50th One Day International century! He has officially broken Sachin Tendulkar's record! He now stands alone at the summit of ODI cricket!"
"And let us not forget," Sunil Gavaskar added proudly. "That is his 98th international century across all formats. He is just two steps away from the magical 100."
In the middle of the pitch, Siddanth took his helmet off.
The reaction in the stadium was incredible. The Indian dressing room was on its feet, clapping loudly. But it was not just the Indian players.
The entire Sri Lankan team, led by Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews, stopped fielding. They stood in their positions and clapped their hands, showing immense respect for the monumental achievement.
The Sri Lankan crowd in the stands stood up. They forgot about their team losing the match. They applauded the greatness of the player standing in front of them. The applause echoed through the hills of Pallekele.
Siddanth looked around the stadium. He saw the Sri Lankan players clapping. He saw the crowd standing for him.
He did not raise his bat in arrogance. He held his helmet in his left hand. He placed his right hand flat over his heart. He bowed his head deeply to the Sri Lankan crowd, and then to the opposition players, thanking them silently for their respect.
He then raised his bat simply to the Indian dressing room.
He put his helmet back on. Two balls later, he hit a six to finish the match. India won by six wickets.
The post-match presentation was completely focused on his record.
"Siddanth, 50 ODI centuries. You broke the record held by the Master Blaster himself," Harsha Bhogle said, handing him the Man of the Match trophy. "How does it feel?"
"It feels surreal, Harsha bhai," Siddanth answered honestly. "Sachin paaji is the reason most of us started playing this sport. To even be mentioned in the same sentence as him is a blessing. The record is just a number. What matters to me is that we chased down the total today after losing early wickets. Mahi bhai batted brilliantly to stabilize the innings."
The series moved forward.
The third ODI was played at the same venue in Pallekele.
India batted first. Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant 124 not out. MS Dhoni, promoted up the order, scored 67. Siddanth came in towards the end and scored a quick 35 runs. India posted 315.
When Sri Lanka batted, Siddanth was ruthless with the ball. He bowled fast, accurate yorkers. He picked up four wickets in his spell, ripping through their top and middle order. Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets. Sri Lanka was restricted to 205.
India won the match by 110 runs.
With this victory, India took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The trophy was secured.
The teams traveled to Colombo for the fourth and fifth ODIs.
Before the fourth match, Siddanth sat with Ravi Shastri and MS Dhoni in the hotel lounge.
"The series is won," Siddanth told them. "I want to give the middle order some practice. They haven't had much time in the middle because the top order has been finishing the games."
"What is the plan?" Shastri asked.
"I am dropping down the batting order," Siddanth stated. "I will bat at number six. Let Manish Pandey bat at four, and Hardik at five. They need to face match pressure. If the top order fails in a World Cup 2019, these guys need to know how to build an innings."
"It is a good decision," Dhoni agreed instantly. "It gives the bench strength proper exposure."
In the fourth ODI, India batted first.
Virat Kohli scored a magnificent 131. Rohit Sharma scored 104. They put on a massive partnership. Manish Pandey came in and scored a solid 50 not out. Hardik scored 49.
Siddanth sat in the dugout the entire innings. He did not get a chance to bat. India posted 375 runs.
Siddanth took one wicket with the ball in the second innings. Sri Lanka collapsed for 207 runs. India won the match by 168 runs.
In the fifth and final ODI, Sri Lanka batted first and posted 238 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took five wickets. Siddanth bowled a tight spell and took two wickets.
During the run chase, Virat Kohli scored another brilliant century. Manish Pandey scored a half-century. Siddanth once again pushed himself down the order. Hardik walked out to finish the match, hitting the winning boundary.
India won by six wickets. They had completed a historic 5-0 series whitewash against Sri Lanka in their own backyard.
The final match of the tour was a lone T20 International, played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The stadium was packed for the final game under the floodlights.
Siddanth won the toss and chose to bowl first. He wanted to chase.
He took the new ball himself. He marked his run-up.
"This is the final game of a very long tour for India," Harsha Bhogle noted on the broadcast. "They have dominated everything. Let's see if Sri Lanka can give them a fight in the shortest format."
Siddanth ran in to bowl the first over to Upul Tharanga.
He bowled a fast, in-swinging delivery. Tharanga tried to flick it to the leg side, missed it completely, and the ball hit his front pad.
Siddanth appealed loudly. The umpire raised his finger immediately.
"Given!" Sunil Gavaskar roared. "First over, and Siddanth Deva strikes! He traps Tharanga right in front of the stumps! What a start!"
"And Sunny, that wicket has a massive historical significance," Harsha Bhogle interjected quickly, reading a stat sheet in front of him. "That is Siddanth Deva's 13th wicket in this white-ball series. And with that wicket, he has just equaled the legendary Kapil Dev for the total number of international wickets for India!"
"You are absolutely right, Harsha. Kapil Dev finished his brilliant career with 687 international wickets. Siddanth Deva has just reached that same number. He is now the joint third-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket history, sitting right behind Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. What an unbelievable all-round talent."
Siddanth did not know about the record. He simply high-fived his teammates and went back to his mark.
Sri Lanka played aggressively, scoring 170 runs in their twenty overs.
During the chase, Virat Kohli scored 82 runs. Siddanth scored 51 not out. India chased the target down in the nineteenth over, winning by seven wickets.
The tour was finally over.
India had swept the Test series 3-0, swept the ODI series 5-0, and won the lone T20 match. It was a complete, ruthless domination from start to finish.
During the final presentation, Virat Kohli was given the Man of the Series award for his consistent centuries.
Siddanth lifted the T20 trophy, handed it to the younger players in the squad, and stood quietly at the edge of the team photograph. He was tired. The tour had been long.
He walked back to the dressing room, packed his heavy kit bag, and checked his phone. The flight back to India was scheduled for tomorrow morning. He was finally going home.