That lovely hop at the crease, that straight arm action, and that cap firmly in place as he bowls. Nothing much has changed, except for that bulging tummy and the grey hair. It’s Greg Mathews, the flashy off-spinner who had tied up that historic tie for Allan Border’s Australia by trapping Maninder Singh lbw in the Chennai Test of 1985.

To describe the man in his own words, he’s “the one who got Mr Singh out last ball”. Most of the present Indian team have seen him bowl on TV but Mathews gave them a new year surprise by walking into their nets at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and having a little workout with them.

Skipper Anil Kumble and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad were obviously pleased, but it was Harbhajan Singh who made the most of the gift. Mathews spent quite some time with Harbhajan, explaining a few basics, the importance of utilising the non-bowling arm, the use of hips in getting the tweak and worked further on his flight.

And while Mathews was having his chat with Harbhajan, his 15-year-old son Dascy, an upcoming leg-spinner for New South Wales, was receiving tips from Kumble.

“It was an honour to be here with the team. It’s always nice to exchange a few things about the trade with other people who are in this,” said Mathews after the workout.

“I am not supposed to say much about what we worked at specifically but there was a bit of talk about his flight, wrist position. I told him about the importance of the non-bowling arm. It’s like the rudder of the ship while the hips are like the motor,” he says.

... contd.