MS Dhoni‘s tenure as Indian cricket team captain was one of the most successful phases of side. From the 2007 T20 World Cup to the 2011 ODI World Cup to 2013 Champions Trophy, under MS Dhoni The Indian cricket team reached new heights. However, some players did not flourish during that period for various reasons. Manoj Tiwary is one of the players. From February 2008 till July 2015, Tiwary played 12 ODIs and three T20Is. After a hugely successful 2006-07 Ranji Trophy season, Tiwary got a national team call-up.
However, in the first few matches that Tiwary played his spot in the batting line-up was constantly changed. However, one player who stood by him during that period was Virender Sehwag.
“He [Sehwag] is my idol. I will be indebted to him till my last breath. Because if he didn’t drop himself, my life would have been different. When Virender Sehwag, [Gautam ] Gambhir bhai and I had good relations, and I was part of the team for 7 years in and out, Viru bhai saw that I wasn’t getting chances or being shuffled up and down. Sometimes, I would suddenly be made to open in the West Indies, then then bat at 5; he observed that I suffered injustice,” Tiwary said on Lallantop.
“The series in which he scored a double hundred (in Indore). He rested himself and told Gambhir that we have to make him play and bat at No. 4. In the bus, Viru bhai asked me, where do you want to bat. I said I just want to bat for the country. When he insisted, I told him, I’ve always batted at No. 4. So then he conveyed it to him [Gambhir].
“And look how things turned out. As I always believe it luck, in the first three balls, India lost two wickets – Ajinkya Rahane and Parthiv Patel (in an ODI vs West Indies in Chennai in 2011). When I went in there, I had a blank mind. When that happens, more often than not, good things happen. This was written in my stars – to score a hundred. So when I scored the century and collected the Player of the Match award, I felt that I belong in international cricket. He [Sehwag] was very happy. I had cramp.”
He also said that despite other players also not doing well, it was he who got dropped during MS Dhoni’s tenure as captain.
“He was the captain. Team India runs according to the planning of the skipper. In state teams, things are different but in Team India its all about the captain. If you see, during Kapil Dev‘s time it was he who ran the show, during Sunil Gavaskar‘s tenure it was his call, same was during Mohammad Azharuddin‘s tenure. After that Dada and so on. This will go on unless a strict administrator comes and makes a set rule,” Manoj Tiwary told Lallantop.
“You see Ajit Agarkar (current BCCI chief selector) and you feel he can take strong decisions. He can disagree with the coach. As far as me being dropped for 14 matches after scoring a century, if a player is dropped after scoring a century, obviously I want to know the answer. After century I was praised, but post that I did not have any inkling. At that time, youngsters used to feel afraid, including me. If you ask something, who knows what way it could have been taken. Career is on the line.
“The players who were in the team then were Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma. After that the Tour which took place, they were not making runs. And here I was, even after making a century and winning Player of the Match, could not find a place in playing XI. I was dropped for 14 matches, which took place in a space of six months. At that time the dropped player did not get enough practice. I wanted to retire but due to family responsibility could not.”
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