Harbhajan Singh's road so far
Harbhajan Singh has become the third Indian bowler to take 400 wickets in Test matches. He has come a long way after he made his debut in the year 1998.
HARBHAJAN SINGH reached the landmark of becoming the third Indian bowler to take 400 wickets yesterday against the West Indies. He made his debut for India in the year 1998. He came into the limelight during the 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in India where he was awarded the Man of the Series for taking 32 wickets, which also includes a hat-trick.
Harbhajan Singh has been marred in controversy since his debut. When he was playing against Australia in his first ODI series, he had violated the ICC code of conduct as he was involved in an altercation with Ricky Ponting. He had to face the consequences and was awarded a one-match ban along with some fine.
The Indian spinner was always overshadowed by Anil Kumble, who was the premier spinner in the Indian team. They used to bowl in tandem only in Indian and sub continental pitches, which would assist spinners. They formed a lethal partnership and fooled the batsmen with their variation. But, Harbhajan was left out of the starting 11 when they had to play only one spinner. Still, the Indian ‘terminator’ fought to find a place in the starting 11.
The year 2003 was very disappointing for him as he suffered a finger injury, which kept him out of the season. He had to fight yet again to make it in the Indian squad as there were other spinners who had earned a place in his absence. His quality of bowling was never questioned so he did indeed made a comeback to the team, after which there was no looking back. He was the first Indian bowler to bowl the ‘doosra’, which confuses batsmen till date.
After Anil Kumble announced his retirement from Cricket in 2008, Harbhajan Singh became the no 1 spinner for India, be it playing at home or away. He had to carry the pressure of the Indian team on his back, and he has been doing well so far, which is evident from the fact that he has scalped 400 wickets in Test matches.
He is always said to be a fighter on the pitch, but there have been instances when he has taken it to another level, which has led to infamous incidents, such as the monkey gate scandal involving Andrew Symonds and the IPL incident where he slapped Sreesanth after the match. He has not helped himself by indulging in such behaviour. This may be the reason that he never got a chance to captain the Indian side after representing Indian for around 13 years.
He has many more years in him to play for India. He could prove to be the best Indian spinner as far as taking wickets are concerned. He has to groom the young spinners of the country and make them ready to represent India in the future.
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