Delhi Daredevils leggie Amit Mishra tells espnstar.com that his breed of bowling has the maximum impact on the game.

By Rajarshi Gupta

Offering a cup of tea as he settled down for a chat at a Delhi hotel, India's frontline leg-spinner and Delhi Daredevils' trumpcard Amit Mishra still looked like he meant business.

Despite his decent run for the national and IPL teams, the leggie has had to bear some flak of late and one wonders why. However, Mishra is convinced about his importance in any playing eleven: "I feel a leg-spinner is a huge asset to any team. He has more chances of getting you wickets than an off-spinner or any other form of slow bowling.

We leggies have more variety and always tend to go for wickets, which is what any captain wants his bowlers to do."

Mishra was speaking from the heart and something about his poise suggested he has had enough. Dropped, what many think unfairly after a good first Test against Bangladesh, in favour of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, the 27 year-old brushed aside theories of his ‘aggression' getting him into trouble against batsmen, forcing him to try a little too hard.

When asked by this correspondent if his calm and composed demeanour off the field contradicted his aggressive style on it, the spinner was quick to draw a conclusive line.

"I always look for wickets and that is something I can never change about my bowling. It suits me, it suits my team, irrespective of the person I am off the cricket field"

The axe from the second Test against the minnows earlier this year had sparked rumours about a rift in the team, about a discord between the predominantly Delhi camp in the Indian squad and Dhoni. However, Mishra refuted any such theory, hastening to add that all his ‘seniors had been tutoring him well.'

"Playing at the highest level is a process of learning constantly. The seniors have been very supportive and it helps that (Virender) Sehwag and Gautam (Gambhir) are always there to guide me.

I have been friends with Gambhir for close to 15 years now and share a comfortable rapport with him on and off the field."

Needless to say that will be a huge boon once the IPL kicks off on March 12. Boons are something one of the more talented sides in the league can do with. Despite some heavy weight names in the squad, the Daredevils haven't managed to push beyond the semi-finals stage in the first two editions. That is something Mishra would be keen on improving this year.

"We have always been the favourites but somehow haven't gone the distance. Every team has a match-winner capable of turning the tables for their sides. It just needs one good innings or one decent spell to work magic."

From that hat-trick in the inaugural season to a five-wicket haul on Test debut, Mishra has been in the thick of things in Indian cricket. Now is the chance for him to show his true mettle and seal some lips for good. With Daniel Vettori unlikely to play for the better part of the tourney, the local Delhi lad knows his time has come.