Amit Mishra's Five Career Highlights as Tour of Lanka Could be Final Lifeline

Amit Mishra is set to make a Test return after four years when India take on Sri Lanka in August. The 32-year-old has had few opportunities to prove himself on the international stage. Despite having made his ODI debut in 2003 against South Africa, the 32-year-old had to wait five years before playing the five-day format. (Virat Kohli to Play for India A)

Many thought Mishra would take over the leg-spinning role after Anil Kumble's retirement, but it was not to be. A combination of injuries, bad form and lack of support from the selectors meant Mishra was not a regular in Team India. (Amit Mishra's Selection Shows Lack of Young Spinners in India: Ajit Agarkar)

This is probably the final lifeline for Mishra. The Lankan tour could make or break his career. Here are five career highlights of the leggie: (Amit Mishra was Always in our Scheme of Things: Sandeep Patil)

1. Arriving With a Bang: First impressions are always important and Mishra certainly created one on his Test debut. On a turning pitch in Mohali, India had posted 469 and the Australians were looking for a good reply. Mishra removed Simon Katich for his first Test wicket and removed Michael Clarke and Shane Watson soon after. He finished with 5 for 71 as Australia were bundled out for 268. He would end up with seven wickets in the match as India won by 320 runs. By achieving a five-wicket haul on debut, Mishra became one of three Indian spinners to do so. The other two are Vanan Kumar (1961) and Narendra Hirwani (1988)

2. Wickets in Clusters: Consistency is the name of the game for Mishra in the domestic circuit. Since 2005-06, he has a strike rate of 56.6 for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy. This is the best for any spinner who has grabbed over 100 wickets. Not bad for a person trying to make his point that he deserves to be in the Playing XI.

3. On Top in the Game of Numbers: If statistics determine a player's worth, then Mishra is cetainly not far behind. Since the 2005-06 season, the 32-year-old has taken 152 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. His tally is the second highest by a leg-spinner with Piyush Chawla who has 214.

4. Most Victims in a Bilateral Series: India thrashed Zimbabwe 5-0 when they visited the country in 2013. Mishra was India's ace in the pack with 18 wickets in 5 games. This is a world record for most wickets in a series involving just two countries. An average of 3.6 wickets per game -- now that's something no one can ignore, regardless of the opposition quality.

5. Domination in Indian Premier League: Mishra's IPL record is certainly something to write home about. He was the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the tournament's inaugural edition in 2008. In eight seasons, Mishra has 111 wickets and is leading the chart for the spinners. He is only second in the overall wicket-taking list with Lasith Malinga leading the pack.