mahesh's luck

mahesh was the number one singles player on his high school tennis team. on the court, he was unstoppable. he knew how to put wicked topspin on the tennis ball so that it would leap off the court, out of the reach of his opponents. his forehand and backhand were smooth and consistent. his serve was so fast it passed in a blur. all of the younger players looked up to him, and the older players were jealous.
as a junior, mahesh was undefeated with a 10–0 record. and while his teammates assumed that this was due to discipline and hard work, mahesh held a different opinion. he credited his lucky wristband.
to his fellow players, the wristband was nothing more than a strange fashion accessory. it was green and featured the number "17" stitched in yellow. they had no idea how important it was to mahesh.
for six years, mahesh had worn his lucky wristband to every single one of his tennis matches. and for six years, he had never lost a match. it was there, on his right wrist, appearing in a flash of green with every stroke. it was on his wrist when he stretched, when he practiced, and when he defeated his opponents, one after another. it was mahesh's secret, a treasured possession that he never, ever forgot to wear . . until the fateful day of his championship match.
on that day, mahesh almost lost his mind. he emptied out his duffel bag on the court, searching for the lucky wristband. he retraced his steps to the locker room. he checked the hallway, the bathroom, and the showers. but the wristband was gone.
when the time came for him to play, mahesh was a wreck. his right wrist felt naked, and he felt sure that he would lose. when it came time for him to serve, he double-faulted, hitting both his first and second serves out of bounds. when he was given an easy overhead volley, he hit it in the net. and when his opponent took the first set 6–4, mahesh only hung his head.
however, it was during the second set that something changed. all those days of practice and hard work began to pay off. mahesh regained his serving ability. his backhand and forehand became smooth and consistent once again. and, soon enough, he started to win. he took the second set 6–3, and the last set 6–0. he was
what is a recurring theme in a story such as this?
a.
superstitious beliefs are important throughout life.
b.
even the best athletes sometimes lose matches.
c.
naturally talented athletes can win without practicing.
d.
practice and hard work matter more than luck.