Harbhajan craves for 2011 World Cup to complete career treble

New Delhi: An indispensable cog in the Indian team that has reached the pinnacle in Test and Twenty20 cricket, feisty off-spinner Harbhajan Singh now craves for 2011 ODI World Cup glory to complete a career treble.

The senior-most bowler in the side, Harbhajan has been a key member of the team that won the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, and did his bit to help India become the number one Test side in the world after their 2-0 win over Sri Lanka in the recent home series.

Looking ahead, the 29-year-old spinner said, winning the 2011 would be the icing on the cake.

"We've won the Twenty20 World Cup, we are the number one Test side and now if we can win the 2011 World Cup, that would be a great thing for Indian cricket and all of us who will be part of that triumphant squad," Harbhajan said in an interview.

"I will be on top of the world if it happens," added the spinner who played a stellar role in India's recent ascent. "It would have been nice if we could win the 50-over cricket World Cup in 2003. We could not win it, but I have great memories of that tournament (where India reached the final) of playing some really great matches along with some great players. It will be very exciting if we can win the 2011 World Cup," the Punjab spinner said over phone.

At the same time, Harbhajan insists it would be far from a stroll in the park.

"It would require special efforts and special performance, and that would add on to the team's success. I will be very happy if we can achieve that. It would be very satisfying," said country's most successful off-spinner, who has been restedfor the two Twenty20 Internationals against Sri Lanka.

Overall, it has been an exciting time for Indian cricket with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men recording their 100th Test win against Sri Lanka in Kanpur and following it with the triumph in Mumbai that made them the number one Test team in the world.

Harbhajan said the milestones did not come overnight and lot of toil went behind it.

"Obviously, it is an exciting time for Indian cricket. We have all worked very hard for this occasion, and we are really happy wherever we are today.

"I think every one in the team contributed. Bowlers regularly took wickets, batsmen scored truckloads of runs...We had it in our mind for a while and it's great to be number one.

"Personally speaking, I've contributed whenever the team required and I'm really proud to be part of this squad," Harbhajan added.

The consensus is India would have to work harder to retain their number one spot in Test rankings in the limited opportunities they have. Harbhajan, however, sees it from a different angle.

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Harbhajan upset with India's lack of intensity

Mumbai: Not entirely happy with the team's energy level in the field, star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said the hosts could have saved 35-40 runs by showing a little more intensity on the first day of their third and deciding Test against Sri Lanka here on Wednesday.

"We could have bowled a little better than what we did today. We tried a little too much," Harbhajan said.

"We could also have fielded better. It was a day where our energy levels were low. We gave a lot of runs in the third session," the feisty off-spinner said after grabbing four of the eight Lanka wickets that fell during the day.

"Had we created pressure by fielding and bowling well, it could have been a difference of 35-40 runs," he said after India conceded 153 runs in 33 overs in the post-tea period to help Lanka finish the day at 366 for eight.

Harbhajan did not elaborate whether the visitors had taken the upper hand on a track that offered turn and bounce.

"I don't want to say whether they will have an edge or not. All I can say is that we want to take the remaining wickets quickly. We have the batsmen who can score the runs. It's a high-scoring ground," he said.

Harbhajan praised the track at the Brabourne Stadium hosting a Test after 36 years.

"It's a good track to bat and bowl. If you see today's play they have got one hundred (Tillakaratne Dilshan) and one 90 (Angelo Mathews on unbeaten 86). The seamers got something and the spinners had bounce," he pointed out, adding: "I was not surprised by the pitch taking turn on the first day itself."

He also praised the visiting team's batsmen, especially Dilshan who made 109.

"With batsmen like Dilshan and Viru (Virender Sehwag) at the crease the scoreboard will definitely be moving. It's important to get them out early. They (visitors) deserved the credit and batted well today," he said.

On his own performance the offie said he did not do anything different than in Kanpur and Ahmedabad to reap a rich haul of 4 for 107.

"I was bowling just the way I have been bowling. Sometimes the wickets we get, it's difficult even to beat the batsmen.

"In Kanpur (second Test) the ball was keeping low and not carrying while you have seen what happened in Ahmedabad (nearly 1600 runs scored in a drawn tie). We bowled well but it could have been better; we gave 15-20 runs extra," he said.

Harbhajan advised not to expect too many things from left-arm spin partner Pragyan Ojha and put the Hyderabad bowler under needless pressure.

"Don't expect wonders from him. It's just his second game and he's still learning and is a promising bowler," he said.

Backing rival offie and the highest Test wicket-taker in the world, Muttiah Muralitharan, despite the visiting bowler's lack of success on the tour, Harbhajan said the Lankan ace would be eager to bowl on the Brabourne track.

"Murali is the biggest match winner in world cricket. Playing him (here) would be a challenge. He would be looking forward to bowl on this wicket, but we have the batsmen who have played him well. We played well against him in Galle (Sri Lanka) where the wicket was turning and Sehwag got a double century," he said.

"The kind of wickets we are playing (on) you bring on any bowler and he will look ineffective. We need to improve the wickets we are playing on," Harbhajan said.

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Motera-like tracks would kill Test cricket: Harbhajan

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI): Miffed with the docile pitch in the drawn Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka, feisty Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh today said such batting-friendly tracks would kill cricket's longest format.

"Such pitches will kill Test cricket. It's a free ticket to batsmen and offer no contest," Harbhajan told PTI over phone from Ahmedabad.

The Motera track has drawi flak from all quarters and both captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara said they expected the pitch to offer some assistance to the bowlers on the last two days.

The 'battathons' of Motera are now in public domain but the bigger picture of pitches in India ought to make cricket administrators sit up and take notice.
Seven of the last 12 Tests in India have been draws. One triple century, six double and as many as 32 Test centuries have been hit.

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"No security breach by Harbhajan"

Gujarat police denied reports that Harbhajan Singh had breached security by venturing out of the team hotel on his own on Sunday.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Sector 1, Satish Sharma rubbished reports that Harbhajan had gone out of the hotel last night without security ahead of India's first Test against Sri Lanka. There were reports that Gujarat Police had complained to the BCCI on the matter but Sharma denied it.

"There was no breach of security by (Indian off spinner) Harbhajan Singh last night. He had gone out of the team hotel but with proper security," Joint Commissioner of Police, Sector 1, Satish Sharma told PTI today.

Tight security measures have been put in place by the Ahmedabad police which has also deployed SRPF personnel and Rapid Action Force to protect the two teams during their stay here.

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Bhajji praises Tendulkar ahead of 20th anniversary in international cricket

Mumbai: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday congratulated batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him completing two successful decades in international cricket.

The 36-year-old, Tendulkar will join a list of 15 players whose international careers have spanned more than 20 years when he plays in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad from November 16.

Addressing reporters here, Singh said he wished Tendulkar would continue to dominate world cricket. "He (Sachin Tendulkar) is a great human being, a great player and I have been very lucky to have a friend like Sachin Tendulkar. I want to wish him all the luck. I want to congratulate him for finishing his 20 years in international cricket. He has dominated world cricket for 20 years and I hope that he will continue to dominate it," Singh said.

Tendulkar has been the face of Indian cricket since his test debut as a chubby, curly-haired 16-year-old against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989. He now holds the record for most Test runs (12,773), Test centuries (42), ODI runs (17,178) and ODI centuries (45).

The countdown to Tendulkar's latest landmark has been dominating airtime in cricket-crazy India with TV channels and newspapers running specials to commemorate his achievement.

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Dhoni not concerned with Bhajji's form

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is not at his best but the team is not losing sleep over his form, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said today.

On the eve of India's third ODI against Australia, Dhoni threw his weight behind Harbhajan, who has been lacklustre with the ball of late.

"For sure, he is not at his best," Dhoni told reporters after the practice sessions.
"But considering the kind of player he is, for someone who loves challenges, I think he is just one game away from bouncing back.

"We are not worried about players who have so much of international experience," Dhoni said.

His assertions notwithstanding, the India captain had a long session with Harbhajan in the nets where the off-spinner was asked to pitch his deliveries on a stump placed at the good length area.

Subsequently, Harbhajan was seen bowling to a single wicket with Virender Sehwag facing him.

Dhoni said it was a regular kind of practice.

"It's a simple practice, which we often do with bowlers bowling to a single wicket," he said.

While all the Indian players sweated out in the two-hour practice session, Ashish Nehra stayed away from action, playing football and doing stretching instead.
Dhoni, however, assured there was no issue with the left-arm pacer's fitness.
"This was an optional session. It's a long seven-match series and if an individual wants rest, it's fine. He wanted rest and so did not take part," Dhoni said.
Tomorrow's match could also see Sachin Tendulkar reaching the 17,000 ODI runs -- he is just 79 runs away from the mark -- and Dhoni said it would be a momentous occasion.

"It would be a milestone indeed. He is such a great batsman. Whenever he walks out, we all expect big scores. He not only scores himself but also guides his partner," Dhoni said.

Tendulkar, like Harbhajan, has not been at his best either and one notion is that the senior batsman should allow the Delhi duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to open the innings and come down at number three.

Dhoni, however, said he was fine with Tendulkar and Sehwag opening.

"I'm happy with the opening pair," he said.

Dhoni was also happy in his floater's role in the batting order, saying he was not in favour of unnecessary tinkering, especially when the team was doing well.
"Every individual has a different role and I'm doing well in the floater's role. Tendulkar and Sehwag opening the innings, Gautam (Gambhir) at number three -- all are doing well in their respective roles. (There is) no need to change when the team is doing well," he explained.

Dhoni was sensational in the previous match in Nagpur where his swashbuckling century fashioned India's emphatic 99-run win over the visitors.

Asked to rank the innings among his tons, Dhoni said, "It's difficult to rank since I have got just five centuries.

But it was special of course.

"We needed to maintain a good run rate and I'm excited about running between wickets there. I was batting with Gautam after a long time and we converted one or one-and-half into twos in such a big field," he said.

According to him, the win in Nagpur has brought back momentum but the team needed to see every match as a fresh challenge.

"First match we lost because we didn't bat or bowl well.

But we took the positives from that match, like Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan's batting. The second match we won, bowling and batting much better while our fielding also looked much improved.

"But we have to start from scratch in every game. Two matches gone, now it has become a five-match series for us and though win brings in confidence, we have to start afresh," he said.

On the Ferozeshah Kotla track, Dhoni predicted ball would keep low and it would not be a run-feast tomorrow.

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Harbhajan: We can beat Aussies

Harbhajan Singh says India has what it takes to beat Australia in the ongoing one-day series and promised to be his aggressive self.
"I believe if we play to our potential we will win 5-2.

It is very important for me to do well. I am most happy when the situation demands that I perform well for my country," Harbhajan told 'Daily Telegraph'.

The off-spinner is struggling to get back his touch as a bowler but was impressive with the willow as he blasted a 31-ball 49 in the first match to steer India close to win though the hosts lost by four runs in the end.

"It would have been nice to win the game with the bat but, obviously, when you come so close from nowhere it is quite satisfying. Next time I will make sure that we win."

A win in the series would ensure India number one spot in world rankings.

The turbanator insisted that taking the bull by horn is the only way to tackle the Australian team.

"It is always fun to play Australia. There is something about it that seems to make me lift to a higher level. I am a confident person and it helps me when I play against the best team in the world.

"It brings the best out of me. They like to dominate and intimidate but I just give it back, just believe in yourself," he said.

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I don't like someone sitting on my head:Harbhajan

Harbhajan Singh has survived the hard grind of international cricket for 10 years now. In doing so, the 29-year-old off-spinner has taken 330 Test wickets to become the country's most successful off-spinner. In a freewheeling chat, Harbhajan talked about being mentored by Kumble, his verbal tussles with the Aussies and his captaincy ambitions. Excerpts...

Ten years of international cricket. What has the experience been like?

It has been a fulfiling journey. Ten years back, I never thought I would be where I am today. I didn't have the guts to enter a five-star hotel because I came from a very humble background. But because of cricket, I got to see the world and meet people and all that has been a great experience.

To be honest, I've never set any goals in life. I just found a way through cricket and kept following that path right through. Of course, there have been distractions, the glitz and glamour and stuff like that, but you must keep your feet on the ground. Once I started playing for India, lots of people became friends with me and my life changed completely.

They say spin bowlers get better with age. How true is that in your case?

That's true not just for spinners but for every cricketer. The more you play, the more you learn. If you look at the graph of great bowlers like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble or Muttiah Muralitharan, they got better and better with age and experience and took more wickets. So one does get better, provided one wants to learn and improve. I can say that I have better control over my art than before.

How much did you enjoy bowling with Kumble?

Honestly, I loved bowling with Anilbhai. Playing with him, I've learnt a lot not just about spin bowling but also on how one should prepare for a match. He set such a high standard for himself, as if he had to get every batsman out and had to win the match on his own. I feel honoured to have played with him for 8-9 years. In fact, without Anilbhai around I don't think I could have played for 10 years. When things are not going well, you need someone like Anilbhai around to try and help you out.

You always seem to be at war with the Aussies. What is it about them that provokes you?

No, no there's nothing like that. The Australians are fiercely proud competitors and they have been a great side for a while now. I just try to be as competitive as I can be and give my best. Like anyone else, I want to do well against the best team in the world. It feels great to be performing against the best.

But there were a few incidents in the last Test series (2007-08) in Australia...

I have been very stubborn from my childhood. If I want to achieve something, I am ready to slog for it. I know they are the best team and they would like to dominate or intimidate me by saying something or by provoking me in some way or the other. But all you have to do is to back your game and believe in your ability. I don't like someone sitting on my head. As I said, I have been stubborn and adamant since my younger days and I enjoy taking them on. Like Anil Kumble, I try not to give up till the last ball. After all, I am playing for my country and that is the biggest thing for me. I don't go out on the field to make friends.

Can you single out any Aussie player who is different, one who is a thorough gentleman?

I don't interact with a lot of Australian players. But among the few I have spoken to, Brett Lee is cool and so is Stuart Clark. Generally all of them are nice but very competitive on the field. It's good to be like that. No hard feelings. Whatever happens on the ground, I leave it there.

You were also involved in an ugly incident with Sreesanth. Do you regret it?

Well, that shouldn't have happened, but it has and I have come out of it and moved on. I had to prove myself all over again to my friends, fans and well-wishers. However bad a person I might be, when it comes to playing cricket, I want people to say this boy has got the b***s to play at this level. I made a mistake and I regret it.

Who's the toughest you have bowled to?

Brian Lara was in a different league. He was very, very good. Matthew Hayden was good too.

You have played under various captains right from Mohammad Azharuddin to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Which captain got the best out of you?

Honestly, Sourav (Ganguly) was the one who got the best out of me. He knew when I was bowling aggressively and he always backed me because he knew I was trying everything to get the batsman out. He would say, 'Bhajji, bowl freely, bowl the way you want to bowl, enjoy, and be aggressive. Let your ball talk.' Some of my best performances have come under him.

Test cricket, One-day cricket, T20 cricket. What is your first choice and why?

Test cricket anyday. That is real cricket and also the true test for every cricketer. Honestly I would love to play 12-14 Test matches a year.

Have you set yourself a target, the kind of tally you like to have by the time you call it a day?

I don't set targets. I never thought I will be playing for India when I was so young. I was happy to play just one Test. Since then I have come a long way. Having said that, I would like to be someone like Anil Kumble, who has taken 600 Test wickets. I will be disappointed if I don't end up with at least 500 Test wickets.

Do you entertain any thoughts of leading the country in future?

Of course, yes! For any player, leading your country is the biggest thing. Not many people have been privileged to lead India and I would like to be in that list.

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Australia will be hungry for win in ODI series: Bhajji

NAGPUR: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who bubbles with energy at the very sight of the Australians, believes that the Ricky Ponting-led side has a point to prove and will come hard at the hosts in the forthcoming One-day series starting on Sunday.

"Australia have always been a very tough opposition. They have regrouped well after the retirements of their big guns. Also, since they lost the Test series last year in India, they will be hungry for win. But, if we play as a team, we can beat any side in the world," Harbhajan Singh told TOI.

The ace spinner, who has been involved in a few incidents on the field with the Australians, played down his angry exchanges with Ponting's team. Asked what was it about the Australians that intimidates him, he said: "Nothing really. I just want to do well against the best team in the world. It feels great to be performing against best."

Harbhajan, however, agreed that he is a very emotional person and a passionate cricketer. "I am an emotional person and whenever I wear the India colours, I become very passionate. Without passion, you can never achieve your goal in life."

Being a senior pro in the side, the off-spinner realizes that he has an added responsibility of guiding and inspiring the young bowlers in the side.

"I have been doing that for some years now. It is not a new thing. I do guide the youngsters and make them feel comfortable. I don't want them to make all those mistakes which I did early in my career. I think every senior in the team has that responsibility and I am doing the same."

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