Mumbai: Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar and India’s Test cricket team skipper Virat Kohli on Sunday greeted veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on his 36th birthday.
Tendulkar and Kohli took to Twitter to wish Harbhajan good health and happiness and a great year ahead.
“Happy birthday Bhajji! May God bless you with good health and happiness. Have a great year buddy, Harbhajan Singh,” Tendulkar tweeted on Sunday.
“Happy Birthday Harbhajan Singh Paaji. God bless you, have a great year ahead. Cheers J,” Kohli tweeted.
Harbhajan has played 103 Tests and 236 One-Day Internationals and 28 Twenty20 Internationals, claiming 711 wickets in all formats of the game till date.
The 27-year-old Kohli is currently undergoing a training camp with the Indian team and under new national head coach Anil Kumble before the all-important four-match Test series tour of West Indies this month.
Recalling Darren Lehmann’s constant sledging during a tour of Australia in a TV programme, Harbhajan once asked the current Australian head coach whether he was “pregnant” or not while pointing to his “huge stomach”, the veteran off-spinner has recalled.
Harbhajan said he gave back to the Australians, including Lehman and legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath, with whom he had frequent spats.
“Australians felt they were the biggest superstars, nobody can beat them, they always looked to dominate. But we were from a generation which was never docile. I come from Punjab and Punjabis by nature always speak their minds,” Harbhajan said.
“I was batting and (Darren) Lehmann was continuously sledging me. He had a huge stomach and his slack string used to hang out like Shakti Kapoor’s. I was so much perturbed over his sledging that I pointed towards his abdomen and asked: ‘Are you pregnant?’ Lehmann told this to Shane Warne who burst out laughing. Warne asked me whether I said this.’ Well, players shouldn’t have such huge stomachs,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying in ‘Aap ki Adalat’ programme to be aired soon.
