Past, Present and Future of Indian Spin - Harbhajan Singh

[Plum]

Reserved

[hamid]

:rotfl2: @ title

:sad: for Plum state..

[MADDY]

this thread is really unneccessary IMO.........its setting a wrong precedent.........

[Sourav]

this thread is really unneccessary IMO.........its setting a wrong precedent......... +1.

[hamid]

Maddy,

that was set at the Ponting thread itself..

[Plum]

EmpA, Adam Gilchrist-ku thread open paNdrachE ellOrum inga dhAnE irundhInga :roll:. I mean , ellOrum. EncouragelAm paNNingaLE?

appO it was perceived as in favour of CSK so Okay-vA?

[Plum]

this thread is really unneccessary IMO.........its setting a wrong precedent......... +1.

sari adutha Viru thread nAn Open paNdrEn - with all seriousness and sincerity - okayvA?

[Sourav]

this thread is really unneccessary IMO.........its setting a wrong precedent......... +1.

sari adutha Viru thread nAn Open paNdrEn - with all seriousness and sincerity - okayvA? ok... sure... would be very pleased as u have supported viru here most of the time... :D
but, that will take time... innum 1 yr aagum... :P

[MADDY]

EmpA, Adam Gilchrist-ku thread open paNdrachE ellOrum inga dhAnE irundhInga :roll:. I mean , ellOrum. EncouragelAm paNNingaLE?

appO it was perceived as in favour of CSK so Okay-vA?

i dont remember encouraging that - maybe good laugh at it........australian player eppadiyavadhu pogattum - but when u start a "sonnyam" thread for our own indian player then its something we have to stand up against.......

anyways, i have PMed P_R abt all 3 threads - ponting, gilli, bhajji threads.......no hard feelings Plum - its just that i dont agree to this sort of tactics.......i'll agree to whatever decision P_R takes - if he feels its part of fun, then fine :D

[Plum]

What if I have converted to Bhajji? ;-)

Without conclusive froop, delete paNNa mudiyAdhu illaiyA?

[Plum]

australian player eppadiyavadhu pogattum - but when u start a "sonnyam" thread for our own indian player then its something we have to stand up against.......
This is not fair. australians are humans, too :lol:

ippO dhAn nAn thottadhellAm ponnAgudhE so this might not be a problem

[Dinesh84]

What if I have converted to Bhajji? ;-)

:shock:

[Dhakshan]

:clap: Plum, thotadhellaam ponnu(gold-a sonnaen :wink: ).. So I support you Plum :).

[Plum]

Lock paNdradhunnA paNNikOnga.
SeriousA indha threat-ai maindain paNNalAmnu irundhEn

[Plum]

Cricket Blogger I respect the most on Harbhajan, the great (http://cricketingview.blogspot.com/2010/11/on-harbhajan-singh.html)

ivarE sonnappuram namma enna Bajji-ya oppose paNdradhunnu dhAn mana mARRam Agi pOchunga!

[P_R]

It can get out of hand if people start opening threads for the express purpose of ridicule only.

I suggest modifying thread titles to something sober and neetral

I guess we (Hubbers others than Plum :-) ) can suitably use these threads to discuss the the players anyway.

[Plum]

Harbhajan Singh is one of India's all time great spin bowlers


Amongst finger-spinners no Indian spin bowler - not even the classical orthodox spinners, have done better than Harbhajan Singh. This, despite the fact that Harbhajan has faced far more professional batting line ups than any other Indian spin bowler except Kumble

[Plum]

There's little doubt that he's a bowler of great class. His ability to hit the bat high up towards the splice regularly suggests that he's not easy to read and is constantly beating batsmen in the flight. On slow, dead wickets, batsmen can play the ball off the pitch quite easy, and it becomes harder for a finger spinner to get wickets. Wrist spinners can still make something happening because they spin the ball more and have a greater capacity to get it to hurry off the pitch. But finger spinners need a wicket with at least some life if they are to be successful. It's especially hard to be an attacking wrist spinner like Harbhajan Singh is, on dead wickets. The bowler is forced to vary flight and speed, giving batsmen scoring opportunities and making it harder for captains to set fields. It's much harder for a finger spinner to induce error on dead wickets than any other type of bowler.

[Plum]

It can get out of hand if people start opening threads for the express purpose of ridicule only.

I suggest modifying thread titles to something sober and neetral

I guess we (Hubbers others than Plum :-) ) can suitably use these threads to discuss the the players anyway.

Ridicule enganga paNdrOm?

Gilchrist-ku dhAn thread open paNNi ridiculingA oru doctored article pOttEn - yArum notice kUda paNNalai.

Karthikeya Date-E sollittArunga - inimE Harbhajanai edhirkaradhu kashtam

[Sourav]

Harbhajan Harbhajan
Har pal karO iskA bhajan

plum... meaning?

[Plum]

Sourav, oNyum perusA illai. JambulingamE jadAdharA mAdhiri...

[P_R]

Flau, I have always maintained he is not as bad as you have made him out to be.

In the current crop, I find Swann quite interesting. Is there anyone else who counters Harbhajan's claim to be the leading spinner?

Of the offspinners I have seen in action I like Saqlain the best. After him I pretty much have to say Harbhajan would be the next one. Most of my reluctances about him are actually non-cricketing - embarassing on-field behavior etc.

[Plum]

There is no doubt he is talented. But the problem was getting stuck with defensive lines, and coasting through with minimum performance. vechukittu vanjanai paNdrArungaradhu dhAn kuRRachAttE...

Anyway, things are looking up now. Batting has reached awesome state and bowling is following suit. Hope he maintains the momentum. SA maRRum Australia-la Series Wins innum bAkki irukku kadamai...

P.S: Where is he on the chuck-O-meter?

[ajithfederer]

42.5
Harbhajan Singh to McKay, 3 runs, 52.8 mph, the crowd goes wild after McKay punches the ball towards sweeper cover, that's because the bowler Harbhajan has to run all the way to the boundary to stop that one just within the rope

[Plum]

Swann - the best thing about him is no mystery ball, doosra, teesra or the floater, zooter or whatever-it-is-that-Warne-used-to-call-his-stock-ball.

He beats batsmen with length and line variations. That is the most likeable aspect about him. vAi konjam nILam - but being English, knows how to polish his words so doesnt get into trouble.

[MADDY]

It can get out of hand if people start opening threads for the express purpose of ridicule only.

I suggest modifying thread titles to something sober and neetral

I guess we (Hubbers others than Plum :-) ) can suitably use these threads to discuss the the players anyway.

idhe vijay fans panna avangala warn panni meratti vekkradhu - theerpu nalla irukku nattama :clap:

i think lot of people are going to follow Nerd in boycotting this section.......

[P_R]

MADDY, there's going to be no end if we start discussing moderation issues in the open.

I responded to your PM.

[Plum]

Maddy, show me one post which is close in spirit to the Mananvan Sombu thread virus attack:
1. Mokkai blind appreciations
2. inane chatter

Or, show me a ridiculing post
1. Criticism without foundation
2. Blind attacks

[ajithfederer]

50th test 100 adicha vandharra poraaru. Vara vecharalaam :).


It can get out of hand if people start opening threads for the express purpose of ridicule only.

I suggest modifying thread titles to something sober and neetral

I guess we (Hubbers others than Plum :-) ) can suitably use these threads to discuss the the players anyway.

idhe vijay fans panna avangala warn panni meratti vekkradhu - theerpu nalla irukku nattama :clap:

i think lot of people are going to follow Nerd in boycotting this section.......

[P_R]

P.S: Where is he on the chuck-O-meter?
Even now I'd say he's a borderline chucker (own personal subjective impression based definition, not ICC angle-o-meter).
silapala balls ellai meeRum. But not blatant enough to rankle me big time.

But Sharjah '98 ellAm remba overA irukkum :lol:

A clear diffrence in his action when he returned after being pulled up.

[MADDY]

MADDY, there's going to be no end if we start discussing moderation issues in the open.

I responded to your PM.

illa P_R nadathunga

orutharu namma indian player alinji ponumnnu threat aarambikkraar - adhuvum couple of srilankans vandha pora section.........adhukku neenga approval.............ini indha section-la irundha, i feel im being anti-india....

i know bhajji plays for BCCI but in spirit they are sill indians and we cannot think bad for them :wave:

[P_R]

oh ippo idhu nEsanalisau, 'edhir-katchi-kaaran-paarthA-enna-ninaippAn' ellAm vandhuruchA? :lol2:

I think this thread can still survive to be a place for serious discussions, 'it is up to us' -nu solrEn. Be Postyew.

[Plum]

Maddy, I feel you are being jingoistic here. apdi pArthA, Adam Gilchrist maRRum Ricky Ponting-um manusan dhAen.

Ponting is the worst sufferer of my barbs, ridicules and chatterjee(which is ofcourse for fun so no need to take it seriously).

It will not be difficult for me to search and find approving and encouraging posts from EVERY SINGLE HUBBER in this section for my posts on Ponting.

[Plum]

Harbhajan Fans, Please PM me when you see our great leader being unfairly bashed in this section.

[ajithfederer]

:lol: :lol:

[Riyazz]

It can get out of hand if people start opening threads for the express purpose of ridicule only.

I suggest modifying thread titles to something sober and neetral

I guess we (Hubbers others than Plum :-) ) can suitably use these threads to discuss the the players anyway.

idhe vijay fans panna avangala warn panni meratti vekkradhu - theerpu nalla irukku nattama :clap:

i think lot of people are going to follow Nerd in boycotting this section....... vijay fansa compare pannalina yarukum thookam varadhu pola. . .

[Riyazz]

Maddy, show me one post which is close in spirit to the Mananvan Sombu thread virus attack:
1. Mokkai blind appreciations
2. inane chatter

Or, show me a ridiculing post
1. Criticism without foundation
2. Blind attacks plum songs pudhucu iruku appreciate pannow idula enna :huh: ellarum appadi thana pannikranga

[P_R]

ok let's discuss abt bhajji here.
leave out stuff happening elsewhere in the hub.
pm me abt moderation issues.

[Maniraj]

Maddy, show me one post which is close in spirit to the Mananvan Sombu thread virus attack:
1. Mokkai blind appreciations
2. inane chatter

Or, show me a ridiculing post
1. Criticism without foundation
2. Blind attacks

I guess u dont have rights to speak abt our posting. May i know ur role pls :D

[Plum]

maniraj, enna periya role, spring roll. I dont have problems with what happened to Mannavan Sombu thread. I didnt complain to Mods. That is my view of what happened in that thread, without any grouse or agenda.

ungaLukku en posts apdi thONinA nIngaLum dhArALamA sollalAm. idhukkAga Mods thread lock paNNAlum paNNattum.

[Maniraj]

I am not speaking abt complaining to Mods plum.

I know ur posts were not intensional in manmadhan ambu thread.

Naan inga neenga post pannathuku thaan kaetaen :D

Anyway lets finish it off. Back to the Topic :D

[jinju]

i agree with only the 'past' part in the thread title. harbhajan of today has lost the flight and loop of earlier, thanks to ODIs n 20-20s. he wants pitches to suit him, then only he'll take wickets aama. even harsha bhogle too in his recent article mentioned something like 'as of now there's noone to challenge him, but one day that challenger will come' and all. it's this kind of PR that has kept him in the team more than the wickets he's supposed to take! what is R. Ashwin but a worthy selection in the team than this overrated bowler. he's doing well in domestic cricket too this season in the longer format. his ability to take wickets even in the powerplay was evident even in today's ODI. When was the last time this India's No:1 spinner took a wicket in the powerplay? idhula inga Plum vera, Present and Future aama! suttham! i don't know why MSD can't back Ashwin in Indian team whereas he backs him to the hilt with instant results when in the CSK XI.

[littlemaster1982]

Jinju,

Search this forum for Plum, negative and chatterjee, you will find what this thread is about :mrgreen:

[raajarasigan]

[tscii:5709a0fc08]http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/489006.html

Harsha Bhogle

November 26, 2010

Harbhajan Singh's twin centuries were a joy to watch, evidence that he can bat, and proof to himself, more than to anyone else, that he was selling himself short sometimes. They don't tell you anything more, and indeed, like most good things, they come with a warning.

India now have a more confident No. 8, someone who can stand up to the bowling and shield those below. But India do not have a new No. 7. It would be delusional to think so. It might seem like just a number here and there, and might be workable occasionally for tactical reasons, but batting at No. 7 places a lot of responsibility on the batsman. Suddenly the fifty is no longer a bonus but a necessity. A quick thirty that might boost the score is not good enough.

As their No. 1 spin bowler, Harbhajan needs to win India matches, to work on his craft constantly, to widen his repertoire, indeed even to have time to iron out the little faults that could creep in sometimes. He needs to define himself as the country's No. 1 bowler - certainly he must believe he is - and revel in that role; think as deeply about his bowling as a Tendulkar or a Dravid might about their batting. It is a mindset that could get diluted by thoughts of being an allrounder (which, in any case, has long lost its original definition: as a player who can earn his place in the side as a bowler or batsman alone).

Accordingly Harbhajan will need to guard against believing that taking two wickets and scoring 45 is good enough. Taking five wickets and scoring 15 would be a more valuable contribution most times. This is not to suggest that he ignore his batting. No, banish the thought. Merely that he needs to regard himself as a bowling match-winner first.

Harbhajan has now spent twelve and a half years as an India player and has tended to give the impression in recent times that he is fatigued. It can happen to the best - when your tricks become familiar, your metaphors tired, your slower balls predictable. But it is also a phase that separates the best from the very good. Like Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble did, the great ride the phase and remain standing. When they are not playing as well as they can play, they are still good enough to be better than the challengers. It is a phase that Harbhajan is going through. In the last two Test matches there has been a hint of a new dawn, but South Africa will be the challenge.

And yet he needs to look no further than the man he admires greatly, Kumble. At the same stage in life, after twelve and a half years, Kumble had 349 wickets from 76 Tests to Harbhajan's 378 from 90. From here on, Kumble took a staggering 270 wickets in his last 56 matches. After 90 Tests, Kumble had 434 wickets, he took another 175 from the next 42. These are numbers that Harbhajan can look to for inspiration without getting bowled over by their magnitude.

Kumble's last few years were defined by the strength of his resolve; seen not as much on the field of play as in ensuring that he was fit and ready to go; in constantly analysing and reinventing his craft. When the famous rocket ball started to desert him, he started looping it up more, began bowling the googly that he gripped between thumb and forefinger. But at all times he searched for wickets, at all times he believed that he was going to get them. Some days he dragged his body along.

It is this sort of doggedness that might characterise the second half of Harbhajan's career. It is a phase he is well into now. As his body starts asking more questions, as opposition batsmen experience a sense of déjà vu watching him bowl, as challengers emerge, it is his attitude, his resolve, that will see him through. Indeed, I wonder if a challenger will spur Harbhajan on the way his presence drove Kumble to seek more from himself. That challenger is not threatening at the moment but will arrive, for that is the way of all life.

Glenn McGrath once told me of how he retreated briefly - only metaphorically, of course - to ask himself what kind of cricketer he was and what he sought from his game. Musicians and writers do it and often return refreshed. Maybe he should take a break from limited-overs cricket for a couple of months, start bowling Test match lines, master again the loop and the bounce that marked him out as someone special. And return for the World Cup.

As a bowler, Harbhajan stands at the crossroads. Ahead of him is a door, beyond which lies the path that can take him towards greatness as a bowler. Unlike with lesser cricketers, I believe the key to that door lies with him.
[/tscii:5709a0fc08]

[Plum]

Karthikeya Date on Harbhajan Singh's greatness (http://cricketingview.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-harbhajan-singhs-test-record.html)
An apt article to post in honour of his 400th wicket.

[Plum]

The widespread view seems to be that India's No. 1 off spinner should no longer be India's No. 1 off-spinner. That he is in decline, and that he never takes wickets. In my previous post I spent discussed his record in brief. In this post, I'll compare him to other bowlers.


Lets look at some figures. I look at 5 statistics.
First, a comparison of the career records of spin bowlers in result Tests.
Second, a comparison of the career records of spin bowlers in win.
Third, a comparison of the records of spin bowlers in result Tests in the last 3 years.
Fourth, a comparison of the records of spin bowlers in wins in the last 3 years.
Fifth, a comparison of the records of spin bowlers in win in the last 3 years, excluding minnows.


By looking at result matches, I take away the excuse that wicket was not conducive to a result. At least some bowlers were able to take 20 wickets on that wicket. By looking at wins, I focus on wickets that were presumably friendly for spinners, and matches in which the spinners didn't suffer the wrong end of a crucial toss.


First, the career record. In addition to the standard bowling average, look at the last two columns - the strike rate and the Wickets/Inns. I've made an arbitrary cut off of 100 wickets in result Tests (but have included Swann since he's so close with 98, and an important contemporary spin bowler), and 75 for Wins.


Compare Harbhajan Singh's record to that of his contemporaries - Warne, Kumble, Muralitharan, Vettori, Saqlain, Mushtaq (more a 90s man than a 2000s one), and his Indian predecessors (Bedi, Chandrasekhar, Prasanna). Also compare wrist spinners (Muralitharan, Warne, Kumble, MacGill, Kaneria, Chandrasekhar, Benaud, Mushtaq, O'Reilly, Grimmett) to the finger spinners (Bhajji, Vettori, Gibbs, Bedi, Prasanna, Saqlain, Tayfield, Laker etc.)


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qAP0iB6saRQ/ThDYyuyajpI/AAAAAAAABUs/NjPfsRGcYrE/s1600/15016582911_LWKKt.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JMcnRW91hsw/ThDRWmiQonI/AAAAAAAABTI/jGxCarZDp8g/s1600/Spinners_Career_Results.jpg)



























































Now look at the Wins Table. There is much to see in these tables, but a few things stand out, Muralitharan stands out head and shoulders above the rest - a freak performer, the Bradman of Spin Bowling. But Harbhajan Singh does not compare unfavorably to Shane Warne does he? Very similar strike rate, average and very similar number of wickets per innings. He doesn't compare unfavorably to most bowlers in that list. There are two ways to interpret this. First, you could argue that Warne's record shows that he did it on a larger percentage of occasions (92 out of 145) compared to Bhajji (40 out of 95) and hence, on a larger variety of wickets. Or, you could argue that similar performances by the two bowlers produced a different percentage of results due to different quality of support. Both have merit. Warne, as a wrist spinner and far more attacking and effective.


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFsJkvOF3to/ThDUQ_cXY_I/AAAAAAAABTk/OdDUzLR4yM8/s1600/Spinners_Career_Wins.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFsJkvOF3to/ThDUQ_cXY_I/AAAAAAAABTk/OdDUzLR4yM8/s1600/Spinners_Career_Wins.jpg)

So what has happened in the last three years? Averages in general have gone up in Result tests, Bhajji's more than anybody else's. For the next three tables, keep in mind that the number of Tests are much smaller than in the career tables, and hence variations must be considered accordingly.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GDdPZIL5CeU/ThDRTj2qQXI/AAAAAAAABS8/i4cytxPoJJk/s1600/Spinners_3Years_Results.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GDdPZIL5CeU/ThDRTj2qQXI/AAAAAAAABS8/i4cytxPoJJk/s1600/Spinners_3Years_Results.jpg)































What has happened in Wins in the last three years? Bhajji's bowling average has gone up by 3 runs over his career bowling average in wins, and he's taking 5 extra balls for each wicket. A decline for sure. Consider the fact though that there have been very few rank turners that India has played on in the last 3 years, especially in India.


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R1_xJa6UdFo/ThDRUMWq9QI/AAAAAAAABTA/RsnjwCo87r8/s1600/Spinners_3Years_Wins.jpg (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R1_xJa6UdFo/ThDRUMWq9QI/AAAAAAAABTA/RsnjwCo87r8/s1600/Spinners_3Years_Wins.jpg)





















Now for my favorite statistic.

[Plum]

A look at players record against non-minnow opponents (Bangladesh or Zimbabwe have nobody as good as Chanderpaul or Sarwan or Gayle or even Ryder or Taylor in their ranks, let alone depth with the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum)



http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Yme34OF9MY/ThDRUlz-4xI/AAAAAAAABTE/mIDHpDoCaeE/s1600/Spinners_3Years_Wins_NonMinnows.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Yme34OF9MY/ThDRUlz-4xI/AAAAAAAABTE/mIDHpDoCaeE/s1600/Spinners_3Years_Wins_NonMinnows.jpg)
























Harbhajan Singh is a world class spin bowler. India's second best of all time (compare his record to the quartet from the 70s). He's had a longer career than most spin bowlers, has probably been analyzed more by oppositions than most of these spin bowlers, and remains a threat.


The five wicket hauls have dried up to some extent, but he's still getting wickets and contributing mightily to India's victories. Graeme Swann may have better numbers, but he's actually not been required to bowl in a couple of innings in Tests that England have won! What would Bhajji give for that kind of luxury. Swann has still taken fewer wickets per innings in Test wins than Bhajji has in the same period.


And this has been a time when Harbhajan Singh has been considered to be in decline, while Swann, to be on top of his game.


Harbhajan Singh is one hell of a bowler. It is impossible to conclude otherwise from these numbers. Even if you don't think that "good bowling" can be identified by setting aside returns, you can't argue with these numbers.

[Plum]

Some :shock: stats and points that opens the eyes of Bhajii haters:

The five wicket hauls have dried up to some extent, but he's still getting wickets and contributing mightily to India's victories. Graeme Swann may have better numbers, but he's actually not been required to bowl in a couple of innings in Tests that England have won! What would Bhajji give for that kind of luxury. Swann has still taken fewer wickets per innings in Test wins than Bhajji has in the same period.


And this has been a time when Harbhajan Singh has been considered to be in decline, while Swann, to be on top of his game.


Harbhajan Singh is one hell of a bowler. It is impossible to conclude otherwise from these numbers. Even if you don't think that "good bowling" can be identified by setting aside returns, you can't argue with these numbers.


Harbhajan Singh is a world class spin bowler. India's second best of all time (compare his record to the quartet from the 70s)

[ajaybaskar]

An article that may interest Plum (http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/42621/is-harbhajan-a-non-performer-)

[Plum]

Ajay, look at the previous posts. My eyes are opened. Harbhajan is the second best spinner ever for India - and is better than Bedi, Prasanna and Chandrasekar. Venkatraghavan comes nowhere near. I am not going to question his position anymore.

[raajarasigan]

An article that may interest Plum (http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/42621/is-harbhajan-a-non-performer-)இதுல என்ன சந்தேகம்? எனக்கு இருக்குற கவலை எல்லாம் இவன் மட்டும் எப்படி அடி பட்டுக்கமா ஆடுறான்..

[Plum]

Zaheer Khan Zaheerk Khan-nu ellOrum overA koNdAdaRAnga..pArunga Englandla avan sodhappa pORAn. ivar dhAn Indiavai kAppatha pORAr

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJNX1aRP__M&feature=feedu

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbv8lsSABbs&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[wizzy]

A gentle bump :mrgreen:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/Shastri-backs-Harbhajan-for-Australia-tour/articleshow/10856992.cms
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/Shastri-backs-Harbhajan-for-Australia-tour/articleshow/10856992.cms)
PR machinery at work again..Shastrival quotes

"I will definitely call back Harbhajan. He's smelt the coffee against Australia more than anybody else. If you look at his record against Australia, it's better than anybody else," Shastri said. "

"Yes, I agree he hasn't set domestic cricket on fire, but how many spin bowlers do? Specially, on pitches that are good to bat and against players who are good against spin bowling.

"If you look at scorecards that go around in the last month, its only batsmen getting runs and heaps of runs. Only fast bowlers have chipped in with wickets, but you don't see any spinners there setting the world on fire.

"But in spite of all that, I would pick him, because come Australia, he has the ability to get under their skin," Shastri said.


enna cofee-o enna skin-o..for the uninitiated..in OZ he takes a wicket every 21 overs and gives away 70 runs in return :rotfl3:

[Bala (Karthik)]

Record against Australlia better than anybody else - Ippadi na Enna arthaum? What is he talking about? I mean compared with which bowlers?

[littlemaster1982]

A gentle bump :mrgreen:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/Shastri-backs-Harbhajan-for-Australia-tour/articleshow/10856992.cms
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/Shastri-backs-Harbhajan-for-Australia-tour/articleshow/10856992.cms)
PR machinery at work again..Shastrival quotes

"I will definitely call back Harbhajan. He's smelt the coffee against Australia more than anybody else. If you look at his record against Australia, it's better than anybody else," Shastri said. "

"Yes, I agree he hasn't set domestic cricket on fire, but how many spin bowlers do? Specially, on pitches that are good to bat and against players who are good against spin bowling.

"If you look at scorecards that go around in the last month, its only batsmen getting runs and heaps of runs. Only fast bowlers have chipped in with wickets, but you don't see any spinners there setting the world on fire.

"But in spite of all that, I would pick him, because come Australia, he has the ability to get under their skin," Shastri said.


enna cofee-o enna skin-o..for the uninitiated..in OZ he takes a wicket every 21 overs and gives away 70 runs in return :rotfl3:

Shastri and another WI commentator were discussing about the same yesterday too. Even RS was not sounding convincing while bigging up Harbhajan. Seasoned campaigner, fire in the belly etc etc :lol: Ingaiye wicket edukka mudiyalainna Australia poi enna kizhikka poraan :huh:

[Bala (Karthik)]

Fire in the belly na odane engayavadhu orama odhunga vendiyadhu dhaane. Idhukku ellam Australia poga mudiyuma?

[Plum]

N Seenu pls send lumb sum to Shastrivaal with a note to support Ashwin. Tomorrow only he'll change tune. Anju paisakku approver aaguRa paya...

[sathya_1979]

Anju paisakku approver aaguRa paya...
:rotfl:

[wizzy]

Shastri and another WI commentator were discussing about the same yesterday too. Even RS was not sounding convincing while bigging up Harbhajan. Seasoned campaigner, fire in the belly etc etc :lol: Ingaiye wicket edukka mudiyalainna Australia poi enna kizhikka poraan :huh:
for the last 2 years aggressive bowlers-nu our buildup eppo fire in the belly..the fire might be due to something else :) Shastrival isn't even forthcoming with his praise for Ashwin/Ojha..eppomae oru backhanded compliment thaen :-D

[Plum]

Meanwhile, conversation in Ambani household. Mukesh: Look Nita, I understand you are bored and I bought you that IPL team to play with. I am fine that you flirt with that sardar boy. Yeah, he won the trophy for you. But the line has got to be drawn somewhere. You can't waste money on boozing commentators to get them to campaign for this boy. Next time I catch you spending money on that boy, divorce only :evil:

[kid-glove]

Greatbong: For a second, I thought it was Harbhajan Singh who, true to form, has gone and slapped Pawar for being dropped from the side

[scorpio]

I have 5-6 years of cricket in me: Harbhajan
http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/46861/i-have-5-6-years-of-cricket-in-me-harbhajan


"I do have another 5-6 years of cricket in me. I think I can still contribute to the side for some time," Harbhajan insisted.

"Competition is good for the side, I am not afraid of competition. If I was afraid of competition, I wouldn't have played international cricket for 13 years. If there is no competition, the level of the game will not rise," he said.

"I enjoy playing against Australia. They are very aggressive and we need to be aggressive to counter them or they will start dominating you. I still remember the famous series in 2001 where I took 32 wickets in 3 Tests and the Australian media gave me the name 'Turbanator'."

[Plum]

Vinoo Mankad from Heaven: I still remember the time I scored a century and dismissed Bradman. Bradman was impressed and called me the best all-rounder in the world. I still have 50-60 years of Cricket left in me...

[wizzy]

I fear Weed will make a backdoor entry...TOIlet has upped the ante and have been publishing articles with a footnote (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/I-think-curators-are-confused-says-Ramesh-Powar/articleshow/10849191.cms),, Sadeja
has joined in the chorus for his inclusion..Sunil/Ganguly column in this regard is very much expected to follow before the selection committee meeting..

[wizzy]

whatya turn of events from not finding a place in the side to be seen as a contender to skipper the same side :shock:



This would be music to Harbhajan Singh's ears. The feisty off-spinner, who has been out of the national team since last summer, is enjoying captaining Team Mumbai of late, having captained them to the Champions League T20 title last September and then leading them to a win in their IPL 5 opener against defending champs and hosts Team Chennai on Wednesday night.

Sourav Ganguly, under whom Harbhajan flourished while playing for India, is mighty impressed with the offie's leadership qualities, and feels that the 98-Test veteran has enough mettle in him to even captain India one day.


"His captaincy was brilliant in the CL20 last year and it was brilliant last night too. He has the ability to lead India. You could see that on the field, in his body language... he is always competitive on the park. I have said that he would always be there in my squad, any day, anytime... and I still maintain that. And I am saying that purely on the basis of how good he is," gushed Ganguly, on the eve of leading Team Pune against Bhajji's Team Mumbai at the Wankhede. non-playing captain :huh:


'Dada' feels that Tendulkar had good reasons to pass on the Team Mumbai captaincy baton to Harbhajan. "It was completely his personal decision. Over the years, we have seen that he has been reluctant to captain the Indian team when offers have been made. I also feel it had to do with Harbhajan having done well as a captain in CLT20 last year," Ganguly said never misses out on an opportunity to rub it in



"Like Sachin, I was not keen to be the captain as well. Unfortunately, Yuvraj Singh wasn't well and I had to take up this job," the ex-India skipper revealed. this is called covering all your bases :lol:

[wizzy]

seems Toi has come up with a new buzz word for Weed in this IPL season... 'Feisty'...features in all their news items.

from Shastrivals Toi column (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2012/04/06&PageLabel=19&EntityId=Ar01803&ViewMode=HTML)
It was fun to watch a feisty Harbhajan Singh. His talent and spirit were never the questions. His physical reserves were low when the axe came. He was full of beans on Wednesday. Leadership is timely. Bhajji is most dangerous when he knows he is wanted. Vazhga/Valarga PR agencies

[Arvind Srinivasan]

According to a friend of mine bhajji wasnt doing the captaincy alone in the first match. He said sachin had an equal role to play in the bowling changes and field placements. So going by this, the fact of him being a great captain and his so called astuteness on field doesnt hold credence.

[selvakumar]

Wizzy, You can't fault Ganguly for that. It is just his observation just like how people are jumping into conclusion that Kohli is the future captain.

[wizzy]

ethukum oru idam/porul/eval thevayilla..where did you fit in Weed? to captain the test/odi or t20?..even in IPL Ojha has comfortably outbowled him..Gangs was never in good terms with Dhoni for taking away the spotlight and he never misses on any opportunity to push his agenda..atleast Kohls has form going in to push for vice-captaincy...what are the Weeds accomplishments after being dropped from the national side? to be dropped from his state side for his feisty performance??

[wizzy]

bump...Weed Singh is back..11 wickets in the last 3 matches :clap: