Cricket

Mishra’s county mission

The news that Amit Mishra is in line to join English county Worcestershire on a short-term basis is a good development for Indian cricket. The young legspinner’s career will progress at New Road thanks to the exposure to unfamiliar conditions.

The sun might be shining in England at the moment, but the wickets will still be of a different nature to ones Mishra is used to. Worcestershire like to prepare seaming wickets – his overseas predecessor was Australian paceman Ashley Noffke – and bowling on grassy pitches will help him develop his game.

Spinners have generally struggled in county cricket’s second division, due in some part to the Tiflex balls that are used. The new type of ball is being used as an experimental alternative to the traditional Dukes and does not bite in the surface as much, reducing spinners’ effectiveness.

All this means Mishra will have to work hard for his wickets, although the general unease felt by English batsmen against leg spinners might help him settle him quickly.

Mishra might have observed the impressive start Piyush Chawla, an Indian leg spin rival, has made to his Sussex career and thought he needs to stay active to retain his place in the spin bowling pecking order.

He should also look at the impact Zaheer Khan made at Worcestershire in 2006. The left armer had drifted out of the national picture but took 78 wickets in the English season, developing new variations in the process. He returned to India a better bowler and has since become leader of the attack.

Mishra’s improvement might be less noticeable, but he should certainly progress enough to help him stay as India’s premier leg spinner.