Amit Mishra - The Future of Indian Spin Attack?

After Sourav Ganguly's retirement from test cricket, there is a talk about the possible retirement of other senior players like Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Anil Kumble has already lost his form and fitness and if we believe the sources, he may step down soon after the ongoing test series against Australia.

The big question was who will fill into Anil Kumble's shoes and take Indian spin tradition ahead. The second test between India and Australia in Mohali provided a definite answer to this question. Amit Mishra, the leg spinner from Haryana has emerged as the strong contender to carry on Kumble's legacy ahead. Amit Mishra impressed all on his debut match against mighty Australia and bagged five wickets in the first innings. He even looked more lethal than seasoned spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Amit Mihsra, who was supposed to make his debut against the West Indies in 2002, finally got his chance in Mohali after Kumble sat out of injury. Kumble's injury came as a blessing in disguise for Amit Mishra, who took up the challenge and proved his mettle. Mishra, a pet lover himself, is fond of dog t-shirts.

Amit Mishra, born on November 24, 1982 in Delhi, has been an integral part of Haryana cricket team even though played for Delhi in the beginning. He also played for Delhi DareDevils in the last IPL tournament and bagged a hattrick. Amit played only 3 ODIs so far and has taken just two wickets. He always struggled to win an Indian cap in the presence of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla and Pragyan Ojha.

Amit Mishra has an impressive Twenty20 record, as he has taken 26 wickets from 15 matches with a career-best of 5/17. Amit Mishra's journey to Indian team was full of hurdles. Even though he has performed above expectations in Mohali test and may play havoc in the second innings too, it is not sure whether he will get a chance to play in the 3rd test match in Delhi.

Skipper Anil Kumble, who is recovering from injury, is expected to be fit for the Delhi test. In that case, Amit Mishra may have to sit out to make way for Kumble. The selectors may not show courage to drop Harbhajan Singh against Australia. This is the biggest irony of Indian cricket. Whether Amit Mishra gets a chance to play in Delhi test or not, there is little doubt that he would be a force to reckon with in near future. It seems India finally got a replacement of Anil Kumble.