With lethal googly and upbeat confidence, Priya Mishra aims to get bagful of wickets in Australia

At the start of 2024, Priya Mishra was a rising leg-spinner from Delhi, poised to make a tremendous breakthrough. Just weeks before 2024 ends, Priya has had a whirlwind year, transitioning from obscurity to representing India in international cricket.

The Gujarat Giants picked her for WPL 2024, but Priya couldn’t play a game as the team’s poor performance led to them finishing in last place again. By keeping Priya, who has good control over her googly, in the team instead of the experienced international player Sneh Rana, the side indicated their confidence in Priya’s potential for future success.

Strong performances in domestic cricket, including picking 23 scalps for Delhi in 2023/24 Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy meant Priya was selected for India ‘A’ tour of Australia in August, where her breakout moment came in picking 5-14 in the third 50-over game at Mackay.

Priya, who could have played earlier in the tour if not for a hand injury, gained immediate confidence by dismissing Maddy Darke on her first ball. She went on to also claim the wickets of Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kate Peterson, and Nicola Hancock in a stunning spell to give India ‘A’ their first win of the tour.

“I was confident that I was doing well, when I got the wicket on the first ball. They were not able to read my balls and couldn’t realise where it was going. So, when I was bowling to them, nothing was going on in my mind.”

“Only one thought was there - I just wanted to win the match for my team and get as many scalps as possible, because my main role is to get the wickets. After the match was over, they were asking me how I bowl and many such questions. I told them I don’t know English, so, I didn’t talk much with them,” said Priya to IANS in an exclusive conversation before leaving for India’s three-match ODI series against Australia, starting on December 5 in Brisbane.

With the clash against a formidable Australian team looming, Priya thinks her previous experience of playing in Australia as an ‘A’ team member will be beneficial. “At that time, I thought I have got this golden chance to adapt to the pitches and don’t want to let go of it.”

“I wanted to go for as many wickets to be picked as possible and stuck to whatever worked for me from the start. By playing on those wickets in A team tour, I now know the wickets there, and I will be ready in adapting to bowling on those pitches with bounce.”

“I have been watching their videos, like of Ellyse Perry’s batting, and she’s a very strong batter. Plus, Australia is the most important team in women’s cricket and we have to win against them.”

The “A” team tour of Australia provided Priya with her debut experience bowling with a red Kookaburra ball in the four-day match held in Gold Coast, where she ended up securing figures of 4-58 and 2-59. “From one end, I was taking wickets and from the other end, Minnu (Mani) di was picking scalps. I didn’t have any nervousness in bowling with red-ball, I just had in my mind that I have the ball in hand and just aim to pick wickets.”

“The SG ball is a little bigger, turns a lot and comes better off the hand, while the Kookaburra ball is a little smaller, it’s seam is a little inside, and doesn’t turn much. So, I didn’t think much about the differences in the ball and I just had to bowl wicket to wicket, and the scalps came eventually.”

Beyond cricket, Priya found valuable friends in Raghavi Bist, Shweta Sehrawat, Mannat Kashyap, and Uma Chetry. They supported her in navigating the challenge of finding pure vegetarian food in Australia and were there for her when she was sick.

“Australia is a beautiful country, like there was no pollution. Raghvi helped me the most on tour. I get scared when I sleep alone in the room. After I got sick, she put me in her room, and didn’t leave me alone. Raghvi also used to bring food for me from downstairs. I once started vomiting at night, so Raghavi along with a mam in the team took care of me. At that time, all my teammates were supporting me to come back to good health.”

From there, Priya got a call-up for the ODI series against New Zealand, of which she got to know by being added to the team’s WhatsApp group. She eventually made her debut in the second ODI in Ahmedabad on October 27. “I got to know about my debut on the morning of the match. I informed my family about it and they were very happy. They were saying, ‘you have got a chance and do well in it’.”

Priya listened intently to every word as Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain, gave her the cap during the team huddle, an event she still recalls vividly. “She said to me, ‘you don’t have to look at your age, as you are the youngest member in the team. So, you don’t have to look at your age. Just aim to bowl your balls well, don’t look at who is playing in front of you, as you have to do what you have been doing from the beginning’.”

The highlight of her debut was her first international wicket coming in the 32nd over, when Radha Yadav took a diving catch at cover to dismiss Brooke Halliday. Getting Brooke’s scalp was a colossal relief for Priya, who had seen Radha and Deepti Sharma miss catches of her bowling previously.

In the final ODI, Priya stepped up by castling Sophie Devine with a googly and then getting Georgia Plimmer to give a diving catch to first slip off her leg-break. By pointing to the pitch with her index finger in the post wicket-taking celebration, Priya made it clear she’s not out of the game and shouldn’t be overlooked.

“At that time in the second ODI, I didn’t feel like I would get the wicket. But in the second last over, when Radha di caught the catch, I was overjoyed that I finally got the wicket on debut.”

“I usually do that celebration on getting the wicket; it means that abhi mei baaki hoon (I am still there) to take the wicket. Getting New Zealand batters out was so delightful, as they were not able to read my googlies. I was left wondering, ‘How did that happen?’”

Priya also attributes her success in her debut series to the support of her India teammates. “The team was explaining to me after bowling every ball. Even if I was missing getting the wickets or being hit for boundaries, they would still come and explain to me where should I bowl, adding that I shouldn’t get nervous. Everyone was very supportive of me.”

Priya’s remarkable rise is credited to her coach, Shravan Kumar, who transformed her bowling style from a medium-pace to a leg-spin. “Shravan sir always explains everything to me. He keeps on calling me, even on those days if I don’t play well, and says, it’s a part of the game, and just play well in the next match. He made me a leg-spinner, as he felt my height was small for a medium-pacer and from there, it’s been no looking back.”

The strong and unwavering support from her family, originally hailing from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, is something Priya deeply appreciates. “My mummy, papa and sister have supported me a lot. They never told me to study. Even when I failed, they didn’t say anything.”

“They just told me to focus on cricket, and never forced me to study. My father used to take me with him to the stadium, as at that time, I was aspiring to play for the state. He didn’t even look at his job, as his priority was to take me for matches wherever it happened in Delhi.”

“Everyone in home is very happy and excited whenever I do well. Like, they call me and say, ‘Oh wow, you have taken three or five wickets’. Such is the case that other people call my family and say to them, ‘Your daughter has done very well today’.”

Priya, with unwavering resolve in her gentle voice, outlines her aspirations: to contribute to India’s triumphs, starting with the Australia tour, and ultimately to achieve the pinnacle of winning the ODI and T20 World Cups. As Priya prepares to leave her mark in Australia by picking a bagful of wickets, the cricketing world will be eager to watch this spin star with a lethal googly rise to greater heights.

“Till now, 2024 has turned out to be very good. I didn’t think of playing for India this year. I just thought that whatever chances I get, I have to do well. I don’t think much while bowling. Even if batters come, they will make their runs. But I want to take wickets. Even if I take five wickets, irrespective of being hit for 40 runs in four overs, it will benefit my team.”