Sinking in the rain

In contrast to Team India’s slow trudge to the pavilion,Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince walked off the field with quick steps and a sense of relief.

The weather has ensured South Africa now need to survive just one more day to ensure that they draw the game and win the series. At 115/3,they were still trailing by 232 runs and while more rain is forecast for Thursday,India will be hoping they get enough time to take the remaining seven wickets.

With Zaheer Khan injured and Ishant Sharma not in rhythm,India will once again bank on Harbhajan and Mishra on the crucial last day of the series.

Before he bowled his first ball today,with which he got Smith out,there was a question mark over Mishra’s credentials as a top-class spinner. During the first Test in Nagpur,he did beat the bat several times but failed to bag a wicket. In the first innings here,Dale Steyn was his only victim. Critics said that Mishra’s turn was too slow to bother a top international batsman. He had the variety but his leg-spinner,googly or the slider lacked the bite.

At the Eden on Wednesday,when the team needed him the most,Mishra discovered the extra tweak that sent the ball speeding after pitching. As with most desperate spinners,he didn’t end up bowling flat in an effort to hurry the batsman. Mishra had his familiar loop but using his body he added more revolutions to the ball. The new Mishra changed his line,and concentrated on the off stump.

Mishra checks in
The best example of his extra effort translating into wicket was the Kallis dismissal. As a loopy leg-spinner pitched on the off-stump,Kallis moved forward to defend the ball. He had read the turn but didn’t expect it to zip away so fast. The faint edge from Kallis’ bat meant Dhoni had no trouble catching the ball.

The Smith dismissal earlier was less dramatic but equally significant for India. Zaheer’s injury meant the South African skipper wasn’t tested for too long and he seemed to be settling in. But what seemed like a ritual bowling change just before lunch,skipper MS Dhoni replacing Ishant Sharma with Mishra,turned out to be a master stroke.

Mishra’s first ball around the off stump to the left-hander moved in slightly to hit the pads in line of the stumps. Smith proved too slow for the pace and accuracy of the first ball. Between the two Mishra wickets,Harbhajan dismissed Alviro Petersen. His off-spinning delivery took the inside edge of Petersen’s bat and ballooned after hitting the pad,and S Badrinath comfortably took the catch at forward short-leg.

The three classical spin dismissals of the day set up a perfect final day of the Test. But with the city being lashed with unseasonal rain,Mishra’s tired spinning fingers will be crossed.