New Delhi: Give it a rip, pitch it up at off and middle stump, make it dip on the right-hander. And if the batsman is an Englishman, history says the leggie will get his man. Does that mean Amit Mishra is not a leg-spinner? No, he is; just that he doesn't know how to bowl legitimate deliveries.Harsh it may sound, but justified criticism is never slave to any logic when you are being toyed around like an inanimate object, and then show evidence of succumbing by bowling no-ball after no-ball from a 10-yard run-up. That's how Mishra's leg-spin fared on yet another hurtful day for India in England - this time in the third Test at Edgbaston.
The leggie not only proved ineffective but also overstepped on a number of occasions.
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Mishra's show raises innumerable questions. What was he doing in his extended acclimatization period when England was putting India on the mat in the first two Tests? Did he care to study England batsmen, what he should do and what he shouldn't when his chance arrives? At least he could have taken care not to over-step in practice. But his eight no-balls on Thursday suggest he didn't do even that.
No-balls are not acceptable, and absolutely a crime when bowled by a spinner. But Mishra committed that crime time and again, losing confidence en route to a nightmare.
At times, Mishra gave clear indication of being all at sea by asking for a deep third-man. Deep third-man for leg-spin bowling, that too in Test cricket? That's almost unheard of! And if it was MS Dhoni's decision, then it's even more baffling as the Indian skipper refused to man that position for his pacers – the whole day.
His only success, which was the wicket of England skipper, was part due to Andrew Strauss' break in concentration and part due to an umpiring error. While Strauss forgot to cover his leg-stump sweeping, umpire Simon Taufel failed to check Mishra's foot that had nothing behind the popping crease.
Touted as the overdue replacement for an out-of-sorts Harbhajan Singh, Mishra fell on his face, and wasn't allowed to get up by England.
"Where are the successors of Chandrasekhar and Anil Kumble?" Not only India but the whole cricketing world is asking this question. Is India's spin bowling nursery a unit in tatters? It certainly looks like that.
If anything, Indian spinners' database resembles a recycle bin, where every newcomer is deposited after an unconvincing stint, only to be restored back into the team's folder later on. And Amit Mishra is the latest example!
