Bengal misses ‘lionhearted’ Ashok Dinda but can't control certain things, admits Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary, speaking exclusively to SportsCafe, has shed some light on Ashok Dinda, stating that the team does miss the pacer but it's one of the cases wherein determining factors are uncontrollable. However, Tiwary also pressed that Dinda is extremely important to any side that he is in.
Ashok Dinda, besides the value he adds to the team, has been controversy’s favourite friend throughout the past year. Dinda was incorporated back into Bengal’s 15-man squad ahead of the Ranji Trophy season, after he was left out of the side for Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophies- a move that had sparked some friction between the player and the board. The Indian pacer bagged three wickets in the season opener against Kerala but was left out due to another instance of discord with the management, with the bowling coach Ranadeb Bose, to be precise.
Dinda had apparently spoken in an ill-mannered way with Bose and the CAB top-brass, Avishek Dalmiya and Arun Lal, came to the decision of expelling the veteran ahead of the game against Andhra. So far, there has been no change in the stance of the Bengal board and Dinda has been away since.
Since Dinda’s exile, Bengal has lost one, drew two and registered just one win - in their latest game against Hyderabad. The win was also the game in which Manoj Tiwary scored his maiden Ranji Trophy triple hundred. When asked whether the team misses the services of Dinda, who “has the heart of a lion”, the ever-so-no-nonsense Tiwary expressed his mixed emotions regarding the same.
“(Chuckles) A controversial question at this point in time. Ashok Dinda has achieved so much for Bengal cricket, obviously. Any team in which Ashok is there, that team is going to benefit from his bowling. His experience can never be replaced by someone so easily. Having said that, the team is doing really well, winning tough games,” Tiwary told SportsCafe.
“The team does miss him, but certain things we don’t have control over it. It is something which the concerned people had to deal with. As of now, I’m focused on what role has been given to me. When the team does well, no one misses anyone. It is when the team doesn’t do well that all these points come out.
“Having said that, he has contributed to Bengal cricket for so many years, he is a champion bowler. Back when I used to lead, I used to always say that he has the heart of a lion.”
However, when asked whether Dinda is coming back this season, Tiwary’s answer was straight: “I’ve no idea.”
Moving on, we had more questions for the former Bengal captain, who has passed the baton to the young and talented Abhimanyu Easwaran. According to Tiwary, “it’s too early to rate Easwaran because he’s been doing this for the first time.” Additionally, the veteran feels that the 24-year-old should go with his instincts and grow in the process.
“He’s going to learn things on his own. I’m there on the field, guiding him as much as I can. But I’ve given him the space to do what he wants on his own. I’ve always told him that captaincy is such a thing where you’ve got to listen to your heart — your gut feeling. Everyone will come up to you and give you suggestions, but at the end of the day, the decision will come from within,” believes Tiwary.
“I’m sure that over a period of time, if he keeps leading Bengal, he will improve. You can’t rate anyone after the first four or five games. He has time on his side. Let’s see, time will tell how good he is. Everything in our country is judged based on results.”
Coming to the current most tantalizing topic in cricket, of the ICC’s idea of four-day Tests, Tiwary again had a matter-of-fact kind of answer. The Indian cricketer, who has enough experience in five-day games, is a stern supporter of the traditional format.
“I’m for five-day format. It has to be there throughout. I’ve played Ranji Trophy and India ‘A’ five-day matches and I always support that. That whole tradition has to be there. Test cricket is exciting over a period of five days only. (Even if it gives a result within four days) I definitely support five days,” he opined.
“It gives you an extra bit of time to account for some bad weather or other conditions. Most importantly, we’ve seen matches go down into the final day and produce results like the one between England and South Africa in Cape Town.”
“I’ve no idea what they[the BCCI under Sourav Ganguly] are thinking. It’s completely up to them. But my opinion is for five-day only,” he added.
When asked about his stance on the trending question, that should MS Dhoni feature in the World T20 for India, he said it all depends on how the former India captain fares in the IPL.
“It’s up to the selectors to decide. It all depends on how he does in the IPL, to be honest. If he’s in good nick — and at the same time, the current wicket-keeper is not in good form — then why not? Because there are very few players who has had so much success,” he opined.
“Nobody is going to replace MS Dhoni. His cricketing abilities and sharp brain have no comparison, to be honest. It’s just about the consistency of his performances. From whatever I’ve heard and observed, the management wants to see him score a lot of runs and in a certain way.”
A through and through Test cricket fan, Manoj Tiwary, has been named the captain of the Bengal side in its next Ranji Trophy fixture, against Delhi, with Easwaran in New Zealand with the India A side. Fresh from his unbeaten 303 in crushing Hyderabad, Tiwary will be eyeing more accolades in the proceedings.