[1]Manoj Tiwary staked his claims for a spot in the Indian Test team with a determined knock of 93 which helped India A recover from a wobbly start to reach 369 for nine on day one of the three-day game against the touring England cricket team here on Tuesday.
Tiwary's feat came after opener Abhinav Mukund and comeback man Yuvraj Singh, also in the running for the no. 6 slot in the Indian squad, hit quick-fire half centuries after India A skipper Suresh Raina elected to bat after winning the toss at the Brabourne Stadium.
The Bengal captain, looking well-set for a deserving century, tried to play across against England's pacer Tim Bresnan and lost his stumps. He faced 150 balls and hit 11 fours in his 202-minute knock.
At stumps, R Vinay Kumar (25) and last man Parwinder Awana (11) were at the crease.
Tiwary, who came in at the fall of Raina's wicket with India A struggling at 140 for four, pulled the innings together after India A had lost two more wickets at 190 in 47 overs. The middle-order batsman put on a century partnership with Irfan Pathan who made 46 in 113 minutes.
The duo put on a stand of 110 for the seventh wicket in 168 balls, with Pathan striking five fours and two sixes, to take the team past the 300-mark.
Earlier, Mukund made a quick-fire 73 with 16 fours after living dangerously in the beginning, while Yuvraj, dropped first ball by Samit Patel at square leg off Tim Bresnan, slammed four sixes against the spinners and seven fours in his 59 before both these left-handers were claimed by England's main spinner Graeme Swann on either side of lunch.
Yuvraj struck seven sweetly-timed fours and four well-hit sixes, two each off left-arm spinner Patel and Swann, in his 80-ball 59 before the latter exacted revenge by deceiving him in flight and stumped.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/manoj-tiwaryjpgcropdisplayjpg-047