Date:03/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/03/stories/2008100357932000.htm

Sport - Cricket

Amit Mishra deserved the break

G. Viswanath

Mumbai: Amit Mishra has got the break he deserved. It’s been a fairly long and successful journey for the Haryana wrist spinner and he can only get better by spending quality time with Anil Kumble.

The traditional thinking that spinners need to be put through the wringer in first-class cricket has prevailed, and Srikkanth and his fellow selectors need to be commended for that. Now, it is up to Mishra to prove his potential against the Australians first, and perhaps against the Englishmen next.

Mishra will turn 26 in the last week of November, an age generally considered ripe for a spinner to enter the big stage. After seven years’ experience in domestic competitions and on pitches that have encouraged his type of bowling,

Mishra’s record is quite good. He has taken 289 wickets at 25.21 with 16 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket effort.

Mishra has been equally impressive in limited-overs matches, taking 88 wickets at 27.19. In Twenty20 games, he has 26 scalps at 12.96.

He was India’s leading spinner in the last season with 46 wickets in 11 first class matches. Mishra is also a decent batsman and a fine fielder.

Healthy competition

Srikkanth’s committee has created a healthy competition between Mishra and Piyush Chawla.

The Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner has a fine record for a 19-year-old: 142 wickets at 24.97 in first-class games and 77 at 28.07 in limited-over matches. In Twenty20, he has 22 wickets at 22.09.

The Mishra-Chawla tussle should indeed be an engrossing one in the years to come.