Dubai: “There is this burning desire inside me to make it back to the Indian team. That is the reason why I am playing cricket,” Harbhajan Singh said in an interview on Tuesday.
Call it premonition or what you will, the veteran 34-year-old off spinner grabbed the headlines on Wednesday when he was recalled to the Indian Test squad for a one-off Test match against Bangladesh.
Singh, who has 413 Test wickets and 259 in ODIs, last played for India against Australia in a Test match in Hyderabad in 2013. The one-off Test against Bangladesh, to be held from June 10-14 at Fatullah, will see Virat Kohli leading the team with Mahendra Singh Dhoni having retired from the longer format last year.
In an interview to Gulf News after he was ignored repeatedly for the Indian team, ‘The Turbanator’ had said: “I will keep playing all matches in domestic cricket. I will give my best in every chance that I get. I am a strong believer that one game can change your fate. Ups and downs are part of life.”
Harbhajan is currently the 10th highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket with 413 wickets. The wickets of Chennai Super Kings’ Suresh Raina and skipper Dhoni that he took in quick succession on Tuesday turned the match in favour of Mumbai Indians and ensured his team a place in the IPL final on Sunday. If he takes two more Test wickets, he will surpass Pakistan Wasim Akram’s tally of 414 wickets for the ninth place among leading wicket takers. Many feel that Harbhajan, who will turn 35 on July 3, has been selected to be given him an honourable send-off hoping that he will announce his retirement from the game at the end of the Test match. However, reacting to his selection, ‘Bhajji’ stated that it is a fresh beginning for him and he is ready to play for another four years.
Harbhajan comes into the team in place of left arm spinner and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has been dropped.
Commenting on Harbhajan’s selection, Sandeep Patil, India’s chief selector said: “The Bangladesh batting order has six left-handers; keeping that in mind, we discussed with the captain and we felt it was necessary to have a second off-spinner.”
Apart from off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, there is also leg break googly bowler Karn Sharma in the squad.
Patil also revealed that Harbhajan was not included in the one-day squad as they did not want to disturb the combination that reached the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Speculation that the top players would be rested for the tour was proved wrong with Kohli named to lead the Test squad and Dhoni captaining the team for the One Day Internationals.
