Bhajji's attitude in this Test - absolutely pathetic

[Tapioca]

At 0/222, Harbhajan is sixth in the list of worst bowling figures in a series. The worst ever is 0/355 for India v Pakistan in 2005/06 by Harbhajan himself.

[thevortex]

What is Sehwag doing which Bhajan isn't to get atleast few wickets? Is he spinning the ball or giving more flight or he is just plain lucky?

Well, we have to give it to Bedi. He can be right sometimes :) Sehwag is just a better off spinner when the surface does not come into play too much. The amount of drift that he gets is far more than either of the other two specialist spinners. And any break off the wicket with that kind of drift is going to pose problems to the batsmen.

[SJS50]

At 0/222, Harbhajan is sixth in the list of worst bowling figures in a series. The worst ever is 0/355 for India v Pakistan in 2005/06 by Harbhajan himself.

I am sure our man can better that Tapi ;-)

[asterix]

Janaab SJS50 Ji..You've just taken unnecessary 'boond panga' now..Be prepared for the retaliation..It will be swift and decisive, I'm afraid....

[SJS50]

Well, we have to give it to Bedi. He can be right sometimes :) Sehwag is just a better off spinner when the surface does not come into play too much. The amount of drift that he gets is far more than either of the other two specialist spinners. And any break off the wicket with that kind of drift is going to pose problems to the batsmen.

Its not just Bedi quite a few people have been saying it for some time. Except for that they dont bowl the doosra, as pure off spinners, there are at least two bowlers in India better than Bhajji - Romesh Powar by a big margin and Sehwag even though he is not bowled enough to really hone his skills at the top level as every spinner needs.

[asterix]

Well, we have to give it to Bedi. He can be right sometimes :) Sehwag is just a better off spinner when the surface does not come into play too much. The amount of drift that he gets is far more than either of the other two specialist spinners. And any break off the wicket with that kind of drift is going to pose problems to the batsmen.

Yes, Sehwag has this lovely drift..Even Bhajji used to have that. Drift is very important for an offspinner. Swann uses lovely drift..

[SJS50]

Janaab SJS50 Ji..You've just taken unnecessary 'boond panga' now..Be prepared for the retaliation..It will be swift and decisive' date=' I'm afraid....[/quote'] One is used to madness on the net. Its never comes as a surprise . . . EVER. I am too old to be perturbed . . . or agitated by it. So relax. :-)

[Fontaine]

Bhajji is the same bowler he was years ago. He hasn't learned the subtle things like bowling with more rip/loop or drift. Batsmen pretty much know that if you attack him early then he's always on the back foot. Any spinner can take wickets on a 4/5th day wicket with plenty of foot marks on a spinning track. That's where Harbhajan has taken his wickets. He's as one dimensional as it gets.

[King Tendulkar]

Its not just Bedi quite a few people have been saying it for some time. Except for that they dont bowl the doosra' date=' as pure off spinners, there are at least two bowlers in India better than Bhajji - Romesh Powar by a big margin and Sehwag even though he is not bowled enough to really hone his skills at the top level as every spinner needs.[/quote'] Powar and sehwag better then Bhaji. Did you really just type that. Yes not bowling well in this series on total pancakes(all bowlers getting smoked). But dismiss Indias 3rd highest test wicket taker like that is nonsense and you know it!

[SJS50]

Powar and sehwag better then Bhaji. Did you really just type that. Yes not bowling well in this series on total pancakes(all bowlers getting smoked). But dismiss Indias 3rd highest test wicket taker like that is nonsense and you know it!

I said "as pure off spinner" (without the doosra) Powar is better and yes I stick by it. Sehwag has a better flight and loop and gets the drift too because of his flight but unfortunately he does not bowl enough. He cant blame anyone else for he did not bowl enough in FC game seven when he was captain of Delhi. To be a top class spinner you have to bowl a lot. So I do mention Sehwag because he does those things right that Bhajji doesn't but to see whether he is better thab Bhajji over a longer period one has to see him bowling more often and long spells. By the way, although a fabulous bowler, Powar does suffer from a slight lack of seriousness towards his place in the side something like Munaf Patel and does not appear to put a great price on his place in team India. For that and for his indifferent fielding he has always failed to impress as a serious India player but as an off spinner on all surfaces - he is absolutely top class

[SJS50]

By the way, Bhajji's off spinners have suffered and it has been downhill for that part of his bowling from the time the doosra became an integeral part of his bowling. This happens to most bowlers who take up the doosra. The bowling speed quickens up and the flight arc becomes flatter depriving the bowler of that sudden dip which made people talk of Prasanna that he seemed to be holding the ball on a string and would pull it just as the batsman was about to play a stroke. Saqlain suffered in a similar fashion. The doosra combined with a lot of one day cricket is a deadly combination and one needs to be very strong mentally to keep the test bowling from changing. Murali had the advantage that he was not a conventional finger spinner and used the wrist for both his off spin as well as his doosra this allowed him to toss it up for longer. All these bowlers have great success once they introduce the doosra and use it sparingly with the off brak as the stock delivery but as they, unconsciously, start bowling flatter, the off break becomes more predictable for the batsman (as for length and where to meet the ball is concerned). This makes the bowler rely more and more on the doosra and the matters keep getting worse till the off break stops turning except on really helpful tracks. The bowler becomes increasingly toothless. This is not fanciful imagination but the facts of the matter.

[Mr. Wicket]

Fully agree SJS. Powar is a joy to watch as a fan of classicist cricket; old school offspin that's all about flight, brains, beating batsmen in the air and with subtle variations. The kind of bowling that's really meant for test and first class cricket to shine, rather than doosras, sledging and jazbaa and junoon that's better suited to T20 and ODI. I had the opportunity to watch Powarji recently at the CCI during the Ranji semi final against Delhi - sat through a five wicket haul of his, and it was a wonderful experience watching that sort of classical, taunting offspin full of guile and guts.

[King Tendulkar]

The dismiisal and mickey taking of someone with 350+ test wickets for India is quite remarkable.

[Fontaine]

By the way, Bhajji's off spinners have suffered and it has been downhill for that part of his bowling from the time the doosra became an integeral part of his bowling. This happens to most bowlers who take up the doosra. The bowling speed quickens up and the flight arc becomes flatter depriving the bowler of that sudden dip which made people talk of Prasanna that he seemed to be holding the ball on a string and would pull it just as the batsman was about to play a stroke. Saqlain suffered in a similar fashion. The doosra combined with a lot of one day cricket is a deadly combination and one needs to be very strong mentally to keep the test bowling from changing. Murali had the advantage that he was not a conventional finger spinner and used the wrist for both his off spin as well as his doosra this allowed him to toss it up for longer.

Exactly. Great post.

[Fontaine]

The dismiisal and mickey taking of someone with 350+ test wickets for India is quite remarkable.

What? Like the Sri Lankans have been dismissing and taunting Bhajji? :hysterical: Jayawardene wrote this in his blog before this test match:

Another pleasing aspect of the match was how we didn't give a single wicket to Harbhajan Singh. The last couple of times he has been here, we have handled him fairly well.

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/468896.html Not only is he rubbing it in but issuing a public challenge to Bhajji. When pretty modest and conservative batsmen like Jaya are publicly challenging your main frontline spinner then it's pretty clear they're not afraid of his bowling.

[SJS50]

The dismiisal and mickey taking of someone with 350+ test wickets for India is quite remarkable.

No KT. Its not taking the mickey. I can not forget the great bowling of Bhajji in 2001. This is the disappointment of a great talent dropped so dramatically from the heights and unable to realise whats wrong and unwilling to ask for help. Bhajji was once on the way to be being a truly great bowler. Today he is a shadow of that bowler and as a passionate Indian supporter, I am pained at this development which, sadly, appears for the young man to set write and he doesn't seem ready to admit he needs to do it. Blinded as he is by all the fans and media-hype have conditioned him to believe of his greatness. Bhajji's is a tragedy its no laughing matter.

[Pak_Fan_4_Eva]

Harbhajan has a non existent average in this series:hysterical:

[King Tendulkar]

Blinded as he is by all the fans and media-hype have conditioned him to believe of his greatness. Bhajji's is a tragedy its no laughing matter.

How is he blinded? Please explain what evidence you have of this. Or is it simply a case of indulging in lazy sterotypes!

[Ranjha]

So who is the great Indian spinner that Bhajji is keeping out?

[fineleg]

Pathetic garbage attitude in 2nd Test when the dart-thrower comes out to bat. Even his face cannot hide the don't-care attitude. Out for a duck to full toss from Dilshan. Dart-thrower taking his place for granted. He will as long as selectors don't give an ultimatum