Getting it right

Jamshedpur, Feb.27: Come Sunday, Jharkhand cricket fans might have to boast of not one, but two stars. After Ranchi Rambo, Jamshedpur lad Saurabh Tiwary could also become a member of a cricket World Cup winning team.

He scripted the junior India team’s victory today in the ICC Under-19 World Cup semi-final in Kuala Lumpur by scoring 29 patient runs off 41 balls against New Zealand when the chips were down. His innings was not full of heroics, but a matured one. The score book will mention only about his two hits to the fence, but his knock announced the arrival of another Jharkhand cricketer with strong resolute in international arena.

Tiwary’s performance in the tourney was so-so in the tourney ahead of today’s match. But he proved his mettle when the team needed him the most.

Saurabh told The Telegraph from Kuala Lumpur over phone: “I did not have to bat in the entire tournament. I had made a decision to contribute today and thankfully I did just that.”

“The basic idea was to win the match come what may and I am happy that I contributed to our victory. My heart kept on saying that I had to do something and I did that. The ultimate aim is to win the World Cup unlike last time, and we are determined to do so. The team’s as well as my confidence-level is very high and we hope to win in the final,” added the southpaw.

He pointed out that his fitness-level was very good and he was looking forward to an excellent final.

A Class XII student of KMPM Inter College, this powerful striker of the ball made a lot of runs in the tri-series in South Africa (India-South Africa and Sri Lanka) last year with a strike rate of 96.94. Tiwary made his debut in the Ranji in 2006 and has never looked back ever since.

And not surprisingly, his parents who watched each and every moment of the match are a proud lot.

“I knew my son would prove his worth and he has just done so. I am happy that he remained in the crease till the end and helped his team win the match. He has this tendency of shouldering responsibility,” said Sunil Kumar Tiwary, Saurabh’s father.

According to his close friends, Saurabh scored a lot of runs in tournaments like Cooch Behar Trophy earlier and has a tendency of thrashing the bowlers to all parts of the ground.

But today was different. Cool Tiwary!