Mishra makes it count in Kumble's absence
Posted on Oct 23, 2008 at 10:23 | Updated Oct 23, 2008 at 16:26
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New Delhi: Amit Mishra first played for India five years ago, but was discarded after just three one-day internationals. Since then he has been toiling away on the domestic circuit. And this week, he went from just another Indian cricketer as the heir apparent to a legend. Can he live up to the hype?
Receiving your first Test cap is always an unforgettable moment. For Amit Mishra it was doubly so. He got it from the man most Indian leg-spinners revere. But he now faces a bigger burden, of stepping into the shoes of a man who has take more than 600 Test wickets.
"All the leg-spinners look up to Anil Bhai (Kumble). He's an exceptional bowler who has always done remarkable things for India," says MS Dhoni, who was entrusted with the job of leading India in the absence of the Indian captain.
In his debut Test, Mishra has shown the promise to achieve just that. His ability to make the leg-break turn big and his mastery over variations such as the googly is an encouraging sign. And the 25-year-old has also been made to feel welcome in an Indian dressing room bursting with superstars.
"The seniors in the team never let me feel that I was playing my first Test match. Everyone is very supportive," acknowledges the leggie.
Mishra became only the sixth man in the history of Indian cricket to take five wickets in an innings on debut, and impressed the last man to do so, Narendra Hirwani, who is now a national selector and watched appreciatively from the stands.
"Bowlers of his (Mishra) ilk are wicket-takers. He is slow in the air, the perfect or the traditional leg-spinner. I wish him good luck. He has done well and hope he continues to do so," raves Hirwani.
It was Mishra's impressive performance for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL which included a hat-trick that catapulted him to national fame. But with the likes of Piyush Chawla pushing for the same spot in the Indian team, Mishra knows resting on his laurels is not an option.
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Posted By ravis123
Is it going to be ANIL or AMIT for the Third Test at Delhi ? This's a billion dollar question
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