Sarfaraz eventually relented and handed Mukesh a second spell. Off his fifth ball, Mukesh nearly had Shubham Pundir lbw, but the decision was overturned because of height. Mukesh wasn’t denied for long. In his next over, Pundir was gone, except this time it was Mukesh who managed to overturn a not-out decision off a nip-backer the batter played all around to, leaving J&K two down.
Mukesh was pumped, running away in celebration, with his team-mates struggling to catch up with him. It was the kind of delivery Mukesh has had the ability to bowl from time to time – one that batters know is coming but are unable to deal with when it eventually does.
On Sunday, the two operated with excellent control, triggering non-stop chatter from the cordon because they sensed a wicket wasn’t far away at any point.
Mukesh looks at their journeys philosophically.
Both are technically outsiders in Bengal, having moved there from neighbouring state Bihar, but the system hasn’t made them feel that way. Mukesh battled bone edema in his early 20s, and was malnourished until he accidentally entered the Bengal system. Akash has endured a similar journey, full of the heartbreaks of rejection, personal loss and struggle in the club circuit.
“Our story and journey is the same,” Mukesh said. “Whatever happens, happens together. I don’t know what is written in destiny. Both our bodies are different, but kismat [fate] is the same. Even we don’t know why everything is the same with us.”
The wickets of Pundir and Dogra deflated J&K, and Akash ensured the pressure didn’t let up at the other end. This was Akash’s first game in seven months, and he was effortlessly cranking it up and clocking over 140 clicks. Within minutes post-lunch, Akash took two quick wickets, and RoI were all over J&K.
It was the kind of spell where, as a captain, all you had to do was sit back and let your senior bowlers handle the situation. Sarfaraz did just that. Four balls into his 11th over of the innings, Mukesh had finished the match, finishing with innings figures of 6 for 33. It was his 11th first-class five-for. Akash, meanwhile, had 3 for 25.
“As I told you earlier, I felt that my body needed a fix,” Akash said. “God gave me this injury and I utilised it well. When I went for training, I realised why my body was reacting like this. I utilised that time well. Diet, sleep, training, practice, I did everything properly.”
It was noteworthy that Akash didn’t shy away from taking credit in a culture where players almost seem trained to simply applaud the system they’re a part of.
“I will take a lot of credit for this,” Akash said. “Our physio and CoE [the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence], the way they took care of me and created a pattern for my training. Mentally, I didn’t put in a lot of effort. Mentally, it was their planning. Physically, I put in a lot of effort. I will take a lot of credit for that.”
While their journeys have taken different turns, it somehow often brings Mukesh and Akash back to the same place time and again.
In Srinagar on Sunday, with the Irani Cup on the line, they looked very much like they belonged together.
Shashank Kishore is a senior correspondent at Cricinfo