Indian Premier League 2 : IPL 2 : IPL 2009

Harbhajan Singh

India

Full name Harbhajan Singh
Born July 3, 1980, Jullundur (now Jalandhar), Punjab
Current age 27 years 278 days
Major teams India, Asia XI, Lancashire, Surrey
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

A player of passion, with talent to match, Harbhajan Singh is India’s most successful offspin bowler. Bowling with a windmilling, whiplash action, remodelled after he was reported for throwing, he exercises great command over the ball, has the ability to vary his length and pace, and can turn it the other way too. His main wicket-taking ball, however, is the one that climbs wickedly on the unsuspecting batsman from a good length, forcing him to alter his stroke at the last second. In March 2001, it proved too much for the all-conquering Australians, as Harbhajan collected 32 wickets in three Tests, including the first Test hat-trick by an Indian, while none of his team-mates managed more than three. He has never quite managed to reach those heights again, but he remains an irresistible force on home pitches where he can be unplayable once he manages an opening. Purists might mutter about a lack of loop and flight, but he is very much a product of his times where short boundaries and heavy bats afford little latitude to slow bowlers. His overseas record, despite two five-fors against West Indies in India’s last tour there in 2006, remains a worry: he averages nearly 40 per wicket outside India, while at home he averages just over 25. He can be occasionally explosive with the bat and has scored 1000 runs. At 27, he remains the prime candidate to carry on India’s rich legacy in spin after the the retirement of Anil Kumble. Harbhajan’s rivalry with the Australians resulted in an on-field spat during Australia’s tour of India in October 2007 but things boiled over in Sydney in January 2008 when Harbhajan was charged with racially abusing Andrew Symonds. He was given a three-Test ban but the charge was reduced, on appeal, to abuse and insult not amounting to racism and the ban was turned into a fine.