Manoj Tiwary played a determined knock to take East Zone into the Deodhar Trophy final with 151 off 121 to put his team in an advantageous position. Facing off against North Zone in the semi-final clash at the Wankhede Stadium, the all-rounder from Bengal led his team to a comprehensive win on Sunday.
Coming in to bat after losing two wickets with just 33 runs on the board, he masterfully laid the foundation for victory. Speaking about the knock, he said, “I had to build the innings. We had to see off the first ten overs because the ball was moving around. I paced my innings really well today. I felt very good about my batting when I went in to bat. I knew that when the moisture dries up I will be able to take full advantage of the wicket.”
“I knew that if I build a big partnership with my fellow batsmen it will help the team in the end. When I went in to bat I knew that if we score around 250 runs on this wicket we will defend that because it was gripping a little bit as well,” he explained.
Discussing about defending the 273 runs he said, “We discussed in our meeting that none of their batsmen had got hundreds coming in to this match in the zonal phase. We knew they were not in good form. We just had to capitalise on that. When I went in to bat, I knew if we could get 250, they will be under pressure. Any score in the middle is a pressure when you get runs. Our bowlers bowled well and full credit goes to them as well.”
Adding that he wasn’t worried during the chase, he elaborated, “The way we started bowling, we got a couple of wickets early, and the crucial wicket of Yuvraj Singh because we knew that only he can take the match away from us. We bowled in the right areas and got him.”
Asked if having bowlers from his state side (Veerpratap Singh, Ashoke Dinda and Saurasish Lahiri) was an advantage, he replied, “Yes, there is a slight advantage. But having said that they have to execute their bowling plans really well on that particular day. It helps definitely when you know that a certain guy can deliver but now I have played so many matches with all the East Zone players. It’s easy for me to handle them.”
When asked about his advise to rest of the batsmen given that Shreevats Goswami was the second highest scorer for EZ with 43 runs, Tiwary said, “I would just ask them to spend some time in the middle, that’s it. Because of the shorter format, we as batsmen get tempted to play lot of shots. It’s about spending time in the middle and adjusting to the conditions provided in the middle.”
Tiwary has himself learnt patience over a period of time. Speaking about his evolution as a batsman he said, “I have become more experienced now and I know my game better now. I have made a lot of changes in my batting as well with the help of my coach and others who have helped me in my cricket. My mindset has changed as well. Earlier I used to be very aggressive, now I have calmed down a bit. I know my game really well better than before.”
“Earlier I used to be very short tempered. I used to get upset about a lot of things, cricket as well as off the field. But as you grow older you tend to become more mature, that helped me in my batting as well. The injuries that happened with me also gave me a lot of time to think about my game as a cricketer and also as a person,” he added.
Speaking about the satisfaction from the timely knock he said, “Obviously it helps because when you play in a difficult situation and you get a good score your confidence goes up and you feel good about your batting.”
Asked about the pressure given the circumstance in which he came in to bat and with the selectors watching, he said, “To be honest with you I don’t carry excess baggage while I go in to bat. Earlier I used to carry lot of baggage with me I used to think about other people who are watching, I have to impress them I have to play on the up , I have to play lofted shot like others but over a period of time I have realised what is my game and tried to improve on that. That helped me a lot. I have become more consistent now. There was no added pressure. I just go out there, watch the ball and play.”
Speaking about his journey and development as a cricketer he elaborated, “As a person I started to think a lot. I spent a lot of time with myself and my family members have helped me a lot in that way during my injury phase. It made me realise what you have to do next, think about yourself, your game, spend time with family, those things helped me a lot. Earlier I used to watch a lot of motivational videos as you all know. I have always said that. That also helped me a lot.”
Looking forward, the batsman said he hopes and believes that he will get an opportunity to get back in to the national side. “I am just hoping that I get into the team again,” he signed off.
By: BCCI
