Harbhajan is now Officially Unbowlable

[Brainfade]

Harbhajan is bowling poorly' date=' no argument there, but the idea that it is as simple as him tossing it up one day and not the other is highly oversimplified. When Harbhajan's rhythm is good, the ball comes out of his hand slower and he gets more drop and turn. When his rhythm is poor, the ball comes out flatter. In the latter circumstance, it is not as simple as telling him to bowl slower as he will not get the dip and will be punished - you may have seen him attempting to forcefully float a few today and get smashed for his efforts. It is a worrying trend that his rhythm often deserts him but to suggest that it is merely a temperamental issue is just wrong.[/quote'] Knowledge = Power! Thanks for this post. Your insights on bowling are well-appreciated.

[Dhondy]

Being an eunuch is not a temparamental issue. It's physical.

[Ram]

Look around guys, we dont see any spinners(barring one freak) taking 5-fers every alternate match.These are tough times to be a spinner. However, Bhajji has been outbowled by debutant off-spinners from the opposition team in two ( now three) matches.

[Brainfade]

Look around guys, we dont see any spinners(barring one freak) taking 5-fers every alternate match.These are tough times to be a spinner. However, Bhajji has been outbowled by debutant off-spinners from the opposition team in two ( now three) matches.

I agree entirely with your first sentence. But being outbowled by debutant spinners in a few matches, while not desirable, is certainly not reason to panic. Established batsmen who are out-of-form may be outbatted by debutants in a few matches. What matters is his performance over the long-term, which has been decent (not great, but certainly decent). Also, I don't buy the Dravid-won-matches-for-India-so-we-give-him-a-longer-rope routine. Going by that logic alone, Harbhajan has won us many memorable victories this decade, and should be given the same BOTD.

[Lord]

i think we should seriously consider mishra as the lone spinner wen we tour abroad.bhajji has failed abroad miserably and mishra being a wrist spinner will get turn n bounce. about bhajji he has been a huge dissapointment.the least one expects from an off spinner is control n some turn.bhajji keeps throwing darts.i think like he is too suffering by concentrating too much on his batting

[Brainfade]

Being an eunuch is not a temparamental issue. It's physical.

Doc, looks like it's personal between you and Harbhajan!

[cochise]

Doc, looks like it's personal between you and Harbhajan!

I thought the same thing when I read his comment. Some issues there.

[Dhondy]

I thought the same thing when I read his comment. Some issues there.

Hey, don't blame me. I'm just expanding on what Salil & msb said.

[cochise]

No blame friend...just seemed a strong and personalised comment...maybe I took it wrong.

[Anakin]

Being an eunuch is not a temparamental issue. It's physical.

By your diagnosis, so is SRT. Did you perform any experimental operation on SRT or what?

[Ram]

It'll be really interesting to see what happens in New Zealand. No room for two spinners there.

[Dhondy]

We missed you Anakin. Presumably, you were busy with your PhD in how to be an irritating little git?

[cochise]

It'll be really interesting to see what happens in New Zealand. No room for two spinners there.

On current form...Mishra would have to go. But experience may come into calculation by the selectors.

[Anakin]

We missed you Anakin. Presumably' date=' you were busy with your PhD in how to be an irritating little git?[/quote'] Nah, I got enough training on that from you and few others. Don't let me distract you from your anatomical analysis :haha::haha:

[Ram]

On current form...Mishra would have to go. But experience may come into calculation by the selectors.

Last time we preferred experience over talent and form, a bowler with 650 test wickets retired. We should know better than not to repeat the same mistake.

[Anakin]

Never been a big fan of bhajji, and often he does bowl like an idiot, but dont like going overboard with criticism.

[Lord]

Last time we preferred experience over talent and form, a bowler with 650 test wickets retired. We should know better than not to repeat the same mistake.

who r u talkin about?

[Fontaine]

There's no doubt that his bowling has a use and importance in the limited overs format but in test cricket it's as if Harbhajan doesn't have the intelligence, imagination or creativity to bowl like a proper spinner in Indian conditions. It's not just the pace of his deliveries, it's the variation in flight/loop/pace that all work to deceive the batsmen. To put it into perspective Mishra bowled a beautiful delivery that got Collingwood in just his first over. Bhajji has a 100 times more experience and knowledge when it comes to bowling in India and he's there to TAKE WICKETS and not be a holding bowler. It's more about attitude than anything else. With Kumble retiring now, Bhajji is the leading and most experienced senior spinner and he's NOT there to throw in a few overs like Yuvraj or Sehwag or be a support bowler like Mishra. He's got to be the attacking bowler and simply bowling like a club spinner by throwing some fast darts isnt' going to get it done.

[The Outsider]

Whenever we play three seamers, Mishra just has to play ahead of Harbhajan although it will not happen. A wrist spinner abroad is infinitely more useful than a finger spinner, and more so a finger spinner without brains.

[Mr. Wicket]

Look around guys, we dont see any spinners(barring one freak) taking 5-fers every alternate match.These are tough times to be a spinner. However, Bhajji has been outbowled by debutant off-spinners from the opposition team in two ( now three) matches.

Harbhajan has also been outbowled by part-time spinners. Yuvraj and Sehwag have looked more threatening than him in various test matches this year. This is more problematic than just being inferior to opposition finger spinners. He's not even the best finger spinner in the team, but he's the only guy picked for his finger spin.