‘I play with my heart, for my country’ : Harbhajan Singh

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Four days before the all-important Eden Test, Harbhajan is confident that statistic will stay right up there. “I’m playing a Test there after a long time, so it should be good. So far, I’ve done well in Eden and, hopefully, it will stay that way," Bhajji said. Kadambari Murali Wade reports. More... ‘I play with my heart, for my country’ Kadambari Murali Wade, Hindustan Times New Delhi, February 10, 2010 Harbhajan Singh is under fire but he’s planning to fight back. The 29-year-old, the most successful off-spinner in India’s history, has been going through a relatively lean period of late, but he said he wasn’t worried by either the lack of five-wicket hauls or the barrage of criticism. “I think I’ve performed enough to prove what kind of bowler I am, again and again,” said Harbhajan on Wednesday. “I play with my heart, for my country. As individuals, as a team, we have just one cause and that’s India. I have done very well for India, my record says it all.” Harbhajan said that he, like other Indian players, did not give much credence to those who rubbished them. “If I do well in one match, I’m a good player, if I don’t do as well in another, then I’m not a good player. Every bowler goes out to take wickets, sometimes you succeed, sometimes, you don’t. There’s no point getting into this, it’s better to concentrate on my game and the match ahead,” said the spinner, somewhat irate. Harbhajan had one question — why would anyone ask if he was under pressure. The reply he got was this: Because he seemed to be defensive rather than attacking, and for someone with his record and calibre, it seemed under par. So was there pressure? Pat came the answer. “Not at all. I have the support of my team and frankly, that’s what matters, not what anyone says. I know myself, I know what I need to do. I’ve performed very well over time and the statistics, the records reflect that, that’s for everyone to see. Yes, there is the pressure of the match, which is always there, but apart from that, there’s nothing.” And then there’s a pause. “There are tremendous expectations. You can’t really take five wickets every day. They (the Proteas) have come here to play, they aren’t here on holiday. They are among the best in the world, and have played superbly, you can’t take that away from them, give them that credit.” Critics talk about his lack of performance over the last 12 months, yet, he’s only played four Tests at home in this period. Three were against Sri Lanka, among the best players of spin in the world and one, this first Test against South Africa. It’s also an indication of how short public memory is (mea culpa here too) that most have forgotten that Harbhajan was the highest wicket-taker in two series over the last year --- at home against Lanka (13 wickets in three Tests) and away in New Zealand (16 in three Tests). In fact, it’s very interesting that his away record this year has been far better than his home record, 18 wickets in four Tests at 25.83 is actually outstanding for a spinner. You have to go back a bit more in Harbhajan’s career to see why people say there’s a lack of consistency. In the last five years at home, he’s played 23 Tests, taken 99 wickets at 34.11, with a best of 7/62 and had five fivers. Over half of those Tests have come in the last two years (12 Tests), where he’s taken 57 wickets at 33.47. Perhaps, as Harbhajan says, there’s the burden of expectations. But it was inevitable --- he paved the ground for that himself, as a raw, impassioned 20-year-old grabbing 32 wickets in an epoch series against the all-conquering Australians nine years ago. But while there’s the fact that nothing’s ever come close to those heady days of early 2001, it’s not been all rocky either. And, as Dhoni remarked on Wednesday, soon after India’s loss, “He’s a big game player, he always comes back in big games”. That’s what India will want from Harbhajan in Kolkata. While his record at home against the Safs --- six Tests and 34 wickets at 28.50, with a best of 7/87 — is not in the same league as his home record against the Aussies, where he has 70 wickets at 23.11 apiece and has grabbed five wickets in an innings an incredible seven times in just 10 Tests, it’s still pretty darn good. And four days before the all-important Eden Test, Harbhajan is confident that statistic will stay right up there. “I’m playing a Test there after a long time, so it should be good. So far, I’ve done well in Eden and, hopefully, it will stay that way. Kolkata has always been good for India.” Amen to that.

[punjabi_khota]

Lol. In b4 the storm. :phehehe:

[Guest Hiten.]

pk, don't you agree that these statements are so afridiesque or pakissque. Yes you are a good bowler and all that but don't throw up past records to hide your loss of form or else how woud you start taking the wickets you keep talking about.

[Ranjha]

pk' date=' don't you agree that these statements are so afridiesque or pakissque. Yes you are a good bowler and all that but don't throw up past records to hide your loss of form or else how woud you start taking the wickets you keep talking about.[/quote'] I always look at my past achievements to move forward in life. They are a great confidence booster.

[virufan]

I loved this: They (the Proteas) have come here to play, they aren’t here on holiday.

[TheWall]

I loved this: They (the Proteas) have come here to play, they aren’t here on holiday.

but bhajji is on a holiday from a long time.

[DomainK]

Heart is good. But a bit of brain will be better.

[Desi Cartman]

So our opinion doesnt matter ? :sniffle: :whine:

[Guest DeveGowda]

Imagine the number of threads from pk,U_C and ramza if Burji took more than 3 wkts in next match...:hysterical:

[DomainK]

Imagine the number of threads from pk' date='U_C and ramza if Burji took more than 3 wkts in next match...:hysterical:[/quote'] And I have a feeling that he will.

[Guest DeveGowda]

nahi yaar' date=' we are not too keen to make so many unwanted threads, but surely get irked by unwanted broken-record threads by some fellow posters here :icflove:[/quote'] :hysterical: i dont mind if he takes 7 or 8 wkts..My only problem is he acts like he is bigger than Game itself...!

[virufan]

Please read his statement as "I play with my heart, for my country with huge support from business partner Dhoni’. Below is the article which indicates why Bhajji is still there in the team: http://www.indiatvnews.com/sports/newsdetails.php?id=202&mod=6&smod=sports

[Ranjha]

We all saw what Mishra did in the game as well....lollllll

[Ranjha]

Why is there no thread on Mishra or the expressssssssssssssssssss super phassssst Ishant Sharm????

[spectre]

Yeah, go and play Dart championship for India, you can get some medals there :giggle: You are no more a SPIN bowler

[Ranjha]

Yeah, go and play Dart championship for India, you can get some medals there :giggle: You are no more a SPIN bowler

Indian selectors and BCCI must be extremely dumb for playing him for what 10+ years now.

[kabira]

He will be MoM in Eden. Feel free to bump if he is not

[Ranjha]

that's bcoz regionalism will always exhist' date=' there are some very good posters here who post non-biased views, but then there are also these sadak chaap posters who get wet so often and are pushing very hard to get some non-classy player from their village /city/ region to get into team India.[/quote'] Yea, I think you are right but I don't know much about the posters here yet...There will always exist ppl who want their own to succeed at the cost of the nation. But everyone has an opinion, I guess. The key is to never get carried away.

[Gambit]

Bhajji has been decent in the last 2 years of test cricket. His average in the last 18 tests is 30(away 24, home 33). That's exactly the problem. He's 'only' decent not spectacular. As the premier spinner in the country, we should have seen him step up and cause carnage in Kumble's absence but he just hasn't done that. All he seems to do is bowl well within himself and bowl without much thought or imagination. Bhajji in test cricket is like a sarkari karamchari who comes in at 9, sips chai, does a little work and leaves at 5 without really shining or contributing something significant.

[kabira]

^aare taavu, if he is Mom, isnt it obvious we will win.