Amit Mishra’s splendid performance at the second test during the Australia’s tour of India on Sunday came after a valiant struggle to prove his worth as a spinner who can deliver at the international level. The 25-year-old is now being looked upon as a replacement for Kumble after he takes a bow from international cricket. When Kumble’s injury helped him win a place in the team, Amit’s family prayed he would make the most of the opportunity, and he did. “He wanted to become a batsman,” says Amit’s elder brother Ajay, “but fate gave his dreams a different spin.”The narrow lanes of West Patel Nagar lead to his small house tucked in one corner. “Cricketer Amit bhaiya ka ghar?” asks a boy enthusiastically. He seems to be quite popular now after his T-20 stint. “He was always into cricket,” says his father Ram Sumer Mishra, adding, “we always encouraged him to play once his brothers convinced us that he was good.” “He has made the family proud. I knew he would make his mark someday,” says his mother, Chandrakali.Amit was brought up in a big family. Cricket seems to have been in his blood. His three brothers also played cricket. “We always knew he was talented. He just needed the right break,” said Ajay. “We used to take him along with us whenever we played. Our team mates and even opponents appreciated his skills,” he adds. The family thanks coach Sanjay Bhargav who has guided him since childhood. “His coach moulded him into the player he is today,” says Ajay. His success at the Indian Premier League has changed the family’s fate. “We are from a middle-class family and Amit has grown up to be a responsible son,” says the father. The family used to live in rented accommodation before Amit helped his brothers buy a home of their own.
