Harbhajan has overcome problems and succeeded
Harbhajan Singh, the young off-spinner from Jalandhar, a town reputed more for producing bats than cricketers, has prevailed over all odds to become an important cog in the wheel
Woorkheri Raman
29-Jun-2001
Harbhajan Singh, the young off-spinner from Jalandhar, a town reputed
more for producing bats than cricketers, has prevailed over all odds
to become an important cog in the wheel. As a kid he caught the eye of
Vikram Rathour, the former Indian opener for his ability to spin the
ball. Rathour, the mother hen for all the youngsters of Punjab wasted
no time in making it known that Harbhajan had to be viewed with more
than passing interest.
Harbhajan Singh's career (though it is in the blossoming stages yet)
has been interesting in the sense that he had to make a lot of
adjustments in every aspect. It was as though problems had a way of
haunting the young Sardar repeatedly. Mind you, it is earth shattering
for a youngster to be reported for chucking the moment he gets into
the big league. To make matters worse, he was also fined and
reprimanded by the ICC referee in his first international series.
After the early setbacks, Harbhajan Singh had to first accept the
reality that he had to do something to rectify his action. He went to
the NCA in Bangalore where he had the opportunity to pick invaluable
points from the former greats, Prasanna and Venkataraghavan. But he
was in a very difficult phase of his career and his reactions in some
situations did not endear him to many. Eventually he had to face the
ignominy of getting thrown out of the NCA on disciplinary grounds.
The ouster from the NCA was yet another blow to this youngster and he
was left now with the task of mastering his emotions as well.
Harbhajan was left with the task of starting from scratch while his
spin twin Sarandeep Singh moved on to play for the country. During the
home series against Zimbabwe, many felt that Harbhajan would find it
difficult to re-surface. Fortunately for him, the team management had
a lot of faith in his cricketing abilities and he was picked against
Australia. It will be pointless to reiterate his deeds in that series.
What was remarkable about his bowling during that series was the
control he had with his line even though he did not turn the ball a
long way. This was bound to happen, as he had to ensure that no
aspersions were cast again about his action. Today he has satisfied
one and all with regard to his bowling action and in the absence of
Kumble, he has the responsibility of winning matches for the country.
In retrospect Harbhajan can look back with pride on the way he has
fought every battle manfully and has shown enormous mental strength.
With Tendulkar constantly reminding him of his duties and
responsibilities, Harbhajan will be made to keep his head firmly on
his shoulders. I am not being suggestive here but one can't get a
better mentor than Tendulkar when it comes to handling success. Even
if Harbhajan absorbs half of Tendulkar's commitment, one can rest
assured that Harbhajan will be serving the nation's cause for a fair
period of time.