A century against the West Indies notwithstanding, Manoj Tiwary doesn't want to rest on past laurels. The 2011-12 domestic season has reignited his hunger for success.

By Shashank Kishore

Bengal's Mr Consistent, Manoj Tiwary, earned a place in the Indian ODI squad for the tri-series Down Under on the basis of a good Ranji Trophy season, where he scored three centuries in four matches. His last international outing was also marked by a hundred, a maiden ODI century against the West Indies in Chennai. ESPNSTAR.com caught up with the 26-year-old for an exclusive chat before his departure for Australia.

Excerpts:
 
Shashank Kishore: Was the century against the West Indies a career-changing innings for you?
 
Manoj Tiwary: Oh yes, most definitely. It felt awesome to win my first Man of the Match award. It was getting to a stage where I wasn't really utilising the limited opportunities I was being given. Had I missed out in that game in Chennai, people would have written me off. I wanted to prove to myself that I'm good at this level and the only way I could do that was by scoring runs. I backed my strengths and it worked wonders.
 
SK: Bengal did not make it too far in the Ranji season. How have you kept yourself in tune during the cooling off time?
 
MT: I've been playing club matches in Kolkata to keep myself in tune. I've also taken time off to work on my fitness and endurance. I feel refreshed, ready for new challenges. I've been working in the nets with throwdowns using wet tennis balls to counter the extra bounce. Facing fast bowlers like Brett Lee, James Pattinson and Shane Bond at the KKR nets has also helped me to be a better backfoot player. I've tried to cover all bases and I will be ready whenever the opportunity comes.
 
SK: Are you in a way disappointed that despite making your debut in Australia four years ago, you've played just a handful of matches for India?
 
MT: Yes, it is definitely disappointing, but what sport teaches you is to put all that behind and focus on the challenges ahead. I was also a bit unlucky to get injured at the wrong times, but having said that, I think these experiences have made me a better cricketer today. I'm mentally tougher and that has helped me immensely even when I haven't scored as much as I'm expected to.
 
SK: Considering India are going to be full-strength, the opportunities may not be too many. Does that affect you at all?
 
MT: To get selected in the squad itself means that the selectors believe in your abilities. More than anything else, the opportunity to work in the nets and practice with the team teaches things that I may not probably learn otherwise. I'm looking forward to my interaction with Duncan Fletcher. Although I haven't spent too much time with him, his inputs during the West Indies series helped me fine-tune my game. He has always helped the youngsters and is very approachable.
 
SK:  Will your past experience of playing in Australia count in any way?
 
MT: The Emerging Players Tournament that is held in Australia every year has meant that a lot of youngsters, including me, have had a taste of the wickets Down Under. Although I played just one game during the last series in Australia, the fact that I played in the nets and interacted with the seniors meant that I gained a lot.