Flightless Mishra still takes wings
NEWDELHI: I stand at 6’2 and can’t flight from such a height. I tried flighting the ball in 201314 and got the stick, got no wickets and was dropped.
VIKAS MISHRA, Delhi spinner
Delhi left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra couldn’t have wished for a better comeback. Having last been in the Ranji side in 2013-14, the 25-year-old was recalled this year and grabbed the chance with both hands to sit atop the bowling charts with 32 scalps, from just six games.
Delhi beat Bengal by an innings in 3 days in Pune in the semifinals. They will face Vidarbha or Karnataka in the final at Indore from December 29. That semifinal is keenly poised going into the final day in Kolkata. Asked what he did differently this season, Mishra is blunt: “I didn’t flight the ball.” Really? How could a spinner snare 32 wickets without flighting the ball?
Ravindra Jadeja’s picture pops up in your mind. Anil Kumble made experts eat their words by claiming an Indian Test record 619 scalps without flighting. Is Mishra from the same mould? Jadeja flights at times but Mishra is adamant he won’t, no matter what the purists think. “I stand at 6’2 and can’t flight from such a height. I tried flighting the ball in 2013-14 and got the stick, got no wickets and was dropped. So, went back and bowled with the same trajectory I used to and made sure I pitched the ball in the corridor. I did that this season with focus on restricting runs and the results followed.”
He credits Delhi bowling coach Manoj Prabhakar for his success. “He told me to bowl with the same trajectory but made me use the crease a lot more. He would (also) tell me to reduce my speed a little, as variation. I restricted runs while Manan could attack. This way we both benefitted,” Mishra said.
Mishra also received advice from India off-spinner Jayant Yadav at Chemplast in the Chennai league. “Jayant bhaiyya told me with my height, high-arm action is strength and I should focus on the spot rather than think too much about flighting. That gave me confidence and I targetted the stumps more often.”
The breakdown of his dismissals reflect his bowling dead straight. Out of 32 wickets, 16 are leg before or bowled with the rest caught by fielders around the bat.
Delhi selector Atul Wassan feels vindicated after deciding to back specialists. “I went by intuition, and also saw him bowl so well in the nets. We also wanted to put an end to rampant groupism. I sat with coach KP Bhaskar, got him on the same page and told him Delhi needed a specialist spinner and not just all-rounders -- very happy to see Mishra performing like this.”
Delhi have reached the Ranji final after 10 years. A team needs 20 wickets to win, and Delhi have ticked that column. In eight games, Delhi have picked 144 wickets, 70 of them by spinners with Mishra (32) and Manan Sharma (25) dominating. Last year, Delhi suffered playing only all-rounders, collecting only 111 wickets with a dismal 42 by spinners and failed to make quarters.