Aussies fail to fathom Harbhajan

Aussies fail to fathom Harbhajan
Sanjay Manjrekar

It was vital for India to come out today, playing for just one result a win. Full credit to Saurav Ganguly and his men for doing that. The result India did not give Australia an opportunity to come back into the game at any stage. Unless Steve Waugh has some surprise for us, India now are the favourites to win the deciding Test.

The start by India, however, was made slightly on the wrong foot. India was perhaps anxious to make things happen quickly after taking a lead of 110 runs. The field set for the Australian openers, I thought, was far too imaginative. It’s always a good idea to keep things simple. There was just too much thought given to the field placements for both openers. This resulted in a very unorthodox field setting, very early in the innings.

Australia got off to a flier. Fortunately, India came out thinking differently after lunch. Both Harbhajan Singh and Nilesh kulkarni started with a very normal field after the break.

Now the bowlers were operating with a field backing they were accustomed to. Keep cricket simple - is a lesson one should never forget.

Matthew Hayden miscued a lofted shot after lunch and India saw light. Such has been the impact of Hayden on the series that his wicket early in the innings was the moment for India. The moment, when they realised that they now have a great chance of winning the Test. India thereafter was looking at a very fragile Australian batting.

Australia were forced to make a change in the batting order after the collapses they have had in the series.

Adam Gilchrist was promoted to No 3. Watching him in the nets this morning play the local spinners with a straight bat, it was clear that his approach was going to be different this time. No sweeping early was his motto. Well, he was not out playing the sweep shot today but the position that he got into to play a front-foot defensive shot to Harbhajan left no one in doubt that it was the off-spinner, more than anything else, is the problem. Gilchrist, Ponting and Warne were the off-spinner’s hat-trick wickets in Kolkata. He picked all three of them again. I tell you what. Harbhajan Singh is one name that Gilchrist, Warne and Ponting would not want to hear for a long, long time.

Really, what a sensation this young Sikh has been. He just seems to go on and on, taking wickets.

I have been particularly impressed with the way he goes after batsmen he knows that do not like him too much. A 20-year-old bullying the big men of international cricket, that’s what he is doing.

Another five-wicket haul for him and 29 wickets in the series so far. The next highest Indian wicket taker has taken just three!

I said yesterday that this series will go down in history as one of the best played in this country. I guess it will also be remembered as a series between Australia and Harbhajan Singh.

(Sportsnet Syndication)