Harbhajan Singh looks to earn a name for himself in land of 'Turbanator' fame, 100-Test old

Pitch curators and home team spinners generally keep a good distance on match eves in India. To avoid conspiracy theories, they stick to shooting off knowing glances at each other or exchanging subtle nods but leave the obvious unsaid. The Chepauk grounds in-charge for the last four decades, K Parthasarthy, and Harbhajan Singh didn't quite follow that old ritual on Thursday.

Parthasarthy, 60, brought his grandson to the ground as he wanted his old friend Harbhajan Singh to meet the tiny cricket crazy boy. Hands shaken, picture taken, autograph signed, the spinner headed for the training area. That's when the curator chipped in. "This pitch is like that game. Bowl like the champion that you are," he said.

For the two, and many across India, that game happens to be final Test of the famous 2001 India-Australia series where Harbhajan Singh took 15 wickets to get an intimidatingly new middle name. Twelve years later, against the same opposition and at the same venue that has witnessed his greatest high, Harbhajan 'Turbanator' Singh will be playing his 100th Test.

"I don't know if I have a special connection with Australia, but it's nice to see your name alongside with the greats like the Tendulkars, Sunny Gavaskars, and all the greats who have played for India in 100 Test matches," he said.

Despite this significant milestone and a body of work that has more than 400 Test wickets, Harbhajan Singh somehow failed to hold on to the Turbanator aura that he earned early in his career. Bowling alongside the all-knowing Anil Kumble for most part of his career, the offie could never emerge as India's bowling spearhead after his mentor retired.

Injuries and the advent of T20 cricket saw him temporarily lose his loop and tweak. Hectic scheduling and growing age resulted in that energetic approach to the stumps going weak. Things didn't go as they were predicted for the 21-year-old who took 32 wickets (and who also scored the winning runs in Chepauk) against Steve Waugh's Dream Team.

... contd.

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