Suspicious of the ax, Tiwary hits 201 *

Bengal captain Manoj Tiwari celebrates his double century at the Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh at Eden Gardens on Tuesday. PTI

Manoj Tiwary led Mihir Hirwani through the covers to reach his 25th rank first clbad. He raised his bat like a rapier. His arms raised, he jumped and hit the air. It sounded like a firm statement to the opponents.

Tiwary was under pressure to perform. For some observers, the buzzword of Arun Lal, Bengal team mentor, addressing the players – perform or perish – was essentially aimed at the skipper. The state badociation gave him two games to prove his mettle. Tiwary responded with 201 undefeated on the second day of the Group B Ranji Trophy Elite match against Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. It was his fifth century double at this level and, according to him, his second best. The 210 that he scored here against Mumbai in 2006 still top the list.

He let his bat speak, then spoke with a hint of sarcasm. "I hope I will not be abandoned after that. First, I heard my captain lie under the scanner. Then I heard that I could be dropped. Yes, an answer was due, "he told reporters after the match of the day.

HOT DEALS

Tiwary is the unlucky Indian cricket. Since his shoulder injury on the eve of his ODI debut in Bangladesh in 2007 to the inexplicable Duleep Trophy and / or India, an omission earlier this year never allowed him to rub green.

The injuries were serious. why his international career did not take wings. "I do not know why injuries are chasing me," Tiwary said.

Deep down, there was anger. But he channeled it into positive energy. Sometimes his patience broke. He was not selected for the quadrangular series involving Australia A and South Africa A, while he had obtained the highest list so far from list A – 126.70 – in a single season in India last quarter. He scored 507 points in the 2017-18 season, the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy combined. Tiwary questioned the reference in selection.

Last season, Tiwary also led Bengal to the semifinal of the Ranji Trophy. But after being pilloried for a mediocre campaign in Vijay Hazare this season, he thought he'd give up the captain position. "I'm used to criticism. I believe in outspokenness. I can be a diplomat. But it's not me. I never fight for my personal benefit. I am still fighting for my team. Everything that happened this season could have been avoided. But we moved on, "said Tiwary Tuesday, one day before turning 34.

His fifth century in first-clbad cricket was made even more special, with his mother overseeing the post of director. Tiwary also played with a bat on which was engraved the name of his son, Yuvaan. He nicely paced his sleeves and also went on strike while hitting with the tail players. When Ashok Dinda came out and Bengal was nine short, Tiwary was in 166. He scored his next 35 points with only 29 deliveries, three four and two. The skipper appreciated the application of Ishan Porel at the other end, although the young man only faced five balls. Tiwary has protected it well.

The Madhya Pradesh bowling attack, which included Ishwar Pandey, Kuldeep Sen, Avesh Khan, Ankit Sharma and Mihir Hirwani, feared nothing. The ground was also a few steps away. Tiwary had to deal with a negative line – wide outside the stump – of bowlers, spinners in particular. He pbaded to a stump guard and aimed bow between the deep and long half-wicket. He also opened his position a little, which allowed him to free his arms.

The misunderstanding with the hierarchy of the Bengal Cricket Association (ACR) was mainly due to lack of communication. After a poor Vijay Hazare trophy, ACR President Sourav Ganguly has taken a resolute approach. "You have to perform. Our goal is to win the Ranji Trophy, "has always maintained Ganguly.

A clear meeting before the Madhya Pradesh match helped Tiwary understand that. And Ganguly was thrilled by the double ton of captain today. "Manoj is very dear to us," he said.

Short sheet music: first rounds of Bengal 510/9 decl. at 149.3 points (Manoj Tiwary 201 *, Shubham Sharma 5/59) vs Madhya Pradesh 15/0 to 10 points

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