Kolkata: Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary on Sunday described the win against Punjab in Ranji Trophy Group A clash as one of the best three moments in his stint as the captain of Bengal. Bengal clinched a thrilling 115 runs win against Punjab on the last day of the four day tie at Luhnu in Bilaspur.
According to Manoj, “It was one of the best three wins as captain so far. The previous two being the wins we achieved against Vidharbha and Orissa last year in Ranji Trophy. Winning the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy as captain was also special.”
Manoj was given the freedom as captain by Cricket Association of Bengal President Sourav Ganguly last season. Although he did have the honour to lead his state side back in 2010-11 but only as a stop gap measure. He had seniors in the team like Laxmi Ratan Shukla who also shared the role of captain. It was only since last season he is captaining a young and talented side for a full domestic season. The 31 year old middle order batsman was grateful to Sourav for the role given to him.
“I must thank Dadi (Sourav Ganguly) for giving me the honour to lead the side. Captaincy has never been a burden for me as I always enjoyed the challenges of leading the side. I must also thank my teammates for responding well to my captaincy and last but not the least my coach Sairaj Bahutule,” said Tiwary to xtratime.in, moments after the win in Bilaspur.
Bengal never looked like getting 6 points when the Punjab openers Manan Vohra and Jiwanjot Singh were building a partnership. They put together an opening stand of 100 runs before Jiwanjot was snapped up by Dinda. The Bengal captain credited his bowlers for the character and fighting spirit they showed on the field. “They were just brilliant as they showed tremendous character. They did not let their shoulders drop as their (Punjab) openers were sharing the partnership. Both Ojha and Dinda bowled well. I was very impressed with debutant Kuila.”
Manoj himself has been amongst runs right from the start of the season. He scored his 22nd ton in the first match against Uttar Pradesh and narrowly missed another one in the second innings against Punjab by 8 runs. Talking about his own performance, a satisfied Manoj said, “It was a bit disappointing to miss out on the hundred. But at the same time it gives me the satisfaction that my knock contributed to the team’s success. I am happy to start the season well.”
Tiwary also credited the Vision 20-20 camp as the young Bengal players have been fortunate to spend time with legends like Laxman and Muralitharan. He also praised the dressing room atmosphere. “The dressing room atmosphere has improved considerably since last season. There is a sense of fellow feeling as each one is willing to help others. The juniors are constantly motivated by the seniors and coach Bahutule. We all share a common goal and that is to win Ranji Trophy.”
Manoj’s teammate Pragyan Ojha too shared the same feelings as his captain. It was Ojha’s spell that got Bengal 6 points. The left arm spinner got the vital wickets of Yuvraj Singh and Manan Vohra. Ojha, who was playing his 100th first class match, dedicated his success to team-mates, Sourav and Manoj.
“I didn’t expect to have such a memorable 100th first class match. It was a brilliant team effort as everyone contributed to the win. I want to dedicate my success to Manoj and Sourav especially as they both convinced me to come to Bengal.”
It was Ojha who ensured Bengal return with full points from the match as he got rid of dangerous looking Yuvraj Singh. Asked to comment about the dismissal, he said, “It was a special wicket. Yuvi (Yuvraj) missed the line while sweeping and was bowled. But I am happy that I could contribute to the win.”
Bengal will be bolstered by the inclusion of Wriddhiman Saha in their next match against Railways at Dharamsala. The India stumper will be joining his Bengal teammates tomorrow. Captain Manoj Tiwary welcomed Wrddhi’s availability for his side. “He is a quality performer. His inclusion will definitely boost our chances against Railways,” signed off Tiwary as his team mates wait for him to celebrate the win.