* Virat Kohli's insistence to travel with three spinners works in leggie's favour * Pujara, Rahul also in 15-man touring party for three-match Test series in Sri Lanka
Four years is a long time in any cricketer's career. And if the player in question happens to be a bowler, it seems like an eternity. On Thursday, 32-year-old leg-spinner Amit Mishra got a new lease of life when the senior national selection committee picked him for the three-match Test series in Sri Lanka. The fact that Virat Kohli, and not MS Dhoni, is Test captain worked in favour of the Haryana bowler.
Having played his last Test during the 2011 tour of England, Mishra was hardly expecting a call-up, especially after Karn Sharma was picked ahead of him for the one-off Test in Bangladesh last month. A finger injury ruled Sharma out and a window of opportunity opened for Mishra. That apart, Kohli's demand for a third spinner prompted the five wise men to go for the tried and tested Mishra. Kohli has played a lot of cricket with Mishra in Delhi. He has lot of respect for the senior pro, but doesn't miss an opportunity to "crack jokes" about the latter's sloppy fielding.
Sharma and fast bowler Mohammed Shami were not considered because of fitness problems. Shami, who last played in the World Cup, is still recuperating from knee surgery. Opener KL Rahul's story is similar to that of Sharma as he had to miss the lone Test in Bangladesh with fever. Shikhar Dhawan made a big hundred in that game.
Rahul will certainly have to fight it out for a spot in the playing XI with Dhawan and M Vijay. Another notable inclusion is that of Cheteshwar Pujara, who has been struggling with form and fitness issues.
Kohli's game plan to have five specialist bowlers in Test cricket is a welcome change for Team India which has been finding it difficult to take 20 wickets overseas for quite a few years now. And the pitches in Sri Lanka pitches will push him to play three spinners and two speedsters. Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the edge over Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav.
Given the scenario, Mishra is likely to get a chance to strut his stuff on the spinner-friendly in the island nation. He will have Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin for company. "Amit has always been part of our thinking. If you remember, even last year he was in the reserves (for the West Indies series)," chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil said.
There is no doubt that leg-spinners mature a bit late. By the time Mishra first got his chance in 2008, he already had 300-plus first-class wickets in his kitty. Despite registering a five-wicket haul on debut against Australia in Mohali, Mishra did could not cement his place in the squad because of his fielding skills. Another factor that went against him was his 'slowness through the air'. However, he has managed to bowl quicker through the air and his records in the last two Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons showcase that. In fact, at the last World T20 in Bangladesh, he took 10 wickets at an average of 14.7 each and at an economy rate of 6.68 to finish in the top five.
Wriddhiman Saha is the lone wicketkeeper in the squad.
Kohli to play for India 'A'
BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said that Test captain Virat Kohli will turn out for India 'A' in the second unofficial Test against Australia 'A' in Chennai from July 29 to August 1. "Virat had requested the selection committee for some match practice and wanted to play a game against Australia 'A'. He will be playing the second four-day game," Thakur said. Patil was quick to add that that Pujara will continue to lead the side.
SQUAD
Virat Kohli (captain), Varun Aaron, R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Rohit Sharma, M Vijay, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul
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