Manoj Tiwary wants to make it count Down Under

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The script four years ago was as good as over soon after it started. Any youngster, irrespective of how talented he is, finds it extremely difficult to get going Down Under especially when coming on to bat just hours after having landed there.

Manoj Tiwary had to go through such an experience back during the 2007-08 tri-series when he was all of a sudden drafted into the final XI in Brisbane despite being jet-lagged and completely out of league against a Brett Lee-led Australian attack. Expectedly, Tiwary scored just two in his debut game.

Besides, the 26-year-old had to be part of one of the worst phases that Bengal cricket had gone through during that period — relegation from Ranji Trophy elite league.

This time around, the Bengal batsman does find himself in a far brighter scenario. It’s not because he will be leaving for Australia at least a fortnight before the triangular series begins and get used to the conditions there, but more due to the plenty of runs under his belt this season with most of them scored during crucial junctures.

Of course, the 104 he churned out against West Indies in Chennai last month had a significant impact on the selectors before they got down to finalise the squad for the one-dayers in February.

But at the same time, the 595 runs Tiwary has garnered averaging 148.75 in this season’s Ranji too have backed him up.

A striking aspect about Tiwary is his remaining unfazed inspite of the turn of events so far in Australia for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Co. For the Bengal captain, what matters more is the present.
“One-dayers are a different format altogether.

I don’t think the result in Tests will have any bearing on the tri-series. Certainly, it won’t be easy given the testing conditions in Australia.

But as far as I’m concerned, I no more like to live in the past or even think too much about the future. And it has helped me as an individual.

“The century in Chennai or the runs I’ve scored in Ranji no longer exist in my mind. All I’m focused on is the upcoming one-day series which I will encounter with added confidence,” Tiwary said.

Keeping in mind the pace, bounce and movement in Australian pitches, Tiwary makes sure there is no let-up in his preparations.

“The 310 runs I scored from just three innings in the last Emerging Trophy there certainly show my capability.

ODI squad named

India on Sunday named a 17-man squad for the limited-overs leg of the Australian tour that includes two T20 matches and a tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel.