Sport

Australian batsmen dance to Amit Mishra’s tune

— Photo: S. Subramanium

FIGHTING KNOCK: Shane Watson came up with a vital contribution and his partnership with Brett Lee prevented India from being in a much better position.

Mohali: You are reminded of the famous song on boxing legend Mohammad Ali — “He floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.”

The little Amit Mishra is no Ali. Yet his flighted deliveries float and sting. And, yes, he did deliver some heavyweight blows on an eventful Sunday in the second Test here.

The debutant leg-spinner (five for 71) was on song as Australia was bowled out for 268 on day three, conceding a lead of 201. Mishra was undaunted by the names and the occasion.

Predictably, Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not enforce the follow-on; India was keen to avoid batting last on the surface. The Aussies, however, will face a stern test of character when they attempt to save the Test in their second innings.

The world champion continued to take a pounding when Indian openers Virender Sehwag (53 batting, 71b, 6x4) and Gautam Gambhir (46 batting, 68b, 4x4) rattled up 100 runs in 23 overs to stretch the Indian lead to 301.

The punishing right-left duo was fluent and decisive on either side of the wicket against an uninspired bunch of Australian pacemen. No visiting team has made more than 276 runs against India in the fourth innings of a Test. India still holds all the aces.

Only a fighting innings from Shane Watson (78, 156b, 10x4, 1x6) prevented India from being in a still better position. Watson was almost caught behind off Zaheer Khan — the edge fell short of a diving Dhoni — but consolidated on the piece of good fortune.

Mishra created his own luck. He is a delightful little leggie with skill, variation and heart. When he occasionally erred in direction, Watson thwacked him over the mid-wicket ropes. For most part though, Mishra bowled with consistency and control. Leg-spin — a symphony of balance, wrist, fingers, suppleness, strength and ripping spin — is a difficult art to master. Mishra has immense possibilities.

He drifted the ball in and spun it away from Cameron White. When leg-spin is humming, googly turns dangerous. White, seeds of doubt sown in his mind, was eventually deceived by a fizzy well-disguised wrong ’un that pitched on the off-stump and took out the leg.

The leggie continued to rip the ball hard and the revolution caused it to dip. Mishra used the crease and the angles intelligently with subtle changes in length and trajectory.

The fact that Dhoni had a silly point and a short-leg in position, showed Mishra was spinning the ball either way. He used the straighter one — not quite the top-spinner or a flipper off a fuller length — effectively. Watson’s battling innings was eventually terminated by a delivery that pitched on leg and went through straight.

There was not much bounce for Mishra; he relied more on side-spin on this track. However, he mixed them up quite well. A short man who gets the ball to come down in a parabola, he forces the batsmen to use their feet.

Mishra secured his fifth wicket when last man Peter Siddle stepped out, missed a heave, and was stumped off a looping leg-spinner. Australia fell two runs short of avoiding the follow-on.

Senior spinner Harbhajan Singh bowled a lovely off-stump line. Flight and sharp off-spin saw the ball darting through the gate when Brad Haddin’s footwork was a touch indecisive due to the loop.

The ball gripped for the off-spinner on a dry surface and he displayed his versatility by bowling the doosra to prise out Brett Lee and break the 73-run eighth-wicket partnership.

For the Aussies, Watson, a big-hitter with a two-eyed stance, dug in deep. When offered the opportunity, he was forceful against the pacemen square off the wicket and also employed the pull effectively. Against the spinners, he chiefly relied on the front foot.

Lee essayed a few drives with the flow of an accomplished batsman. He was involved in gamesmanship with Ishant Sharma and the umpires had a word with skipper Dhoni in the post-lunch session. Zaheer Khan received a warning from the umpires for running on to the pitch.

In the morning, Ishant struck a huge blow for India, seaming one away from the left-handed Michael Hussey (54, 119b, 7x4) and finding the edge.

Ishant has used his height, high-arm action, wrist and seam position to extract more bounce than any other paceman in the Test. He has bowled his off-cutters and straighter one in a probing manner, switching the line to the right and the left-hander brilliantly. Despite Ishant’s ability and effort, it was Mishra’s day.

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