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Journalism of Courage
Harbhajan Singhs over-the-top celebration at the Eden Gardens earlier this year,after he dismissed South Africas No. 10 batsman to help India square the series and retain the No. 1 Test ranking,is still fresh in memory. He justified that,saying he was merely trying to make a statement. The media deserves this, he had said,referring to the growing criticism against him.
Five months down the line,as the off-spinner looks clueless against Sri Lanka,the knives are out again. Expected to spearhead the attack in the series,Harbhajan has conceded 304 runs,picking up just two wickets so far in the two Tests at a shocking average of 152.
According to former India off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna,Harbhajan is feeling the pressure of responsibility,even as technical flaws have crept into his bowling.
Harbhajan has choked under pressure. He was supposed to lead the bowling attack after (Anil) Kumbles retirement. But so far he has failed. He is bowling the wrong line too wide outside the off stump. Hes not getting his basics right. He needs counseling and some quality practice. The BCCI should take the initiative to ensure he doesnt fade away, Prasanna told The Indian Express.
Prasanna attributed the sudden dip in Harbhajans performance to his wrong approach and lack of variety. I think its all about his approach. To contain a batsman rather than dismissing him seems to be on top of his agenda. He is not turning his off-breaks and his doosras are easily picked. But first of all,he has to admit he is not bowling well,which he is not doing and thereby complicating his problems.
As a leading bowler,he needs to pick up wickets. If his doosra is getting picked easily,he should add variety to his off-spinners or use other tricks to get the better of batsmen. All his life he played second fiddle to Kumble,and its becoming increasingly evident that he doesnt have it in him to play the lead role, said Prasanna.
After Muralitharans retirement,Harbhajan is the leading active bowler in Test cricket,with 357 wickets in 85 Tests at 30.94. His career strike rate is a healthy 67,but in the last one year it has gone up to almost 80. Prasanna points out that Sourav Ganguly brought out the best in Harbhajan and says a good skipper adds to the confidence of a spinner.
Meanwhile,Tiger Pataudi says Harbhajans poor form is because of a lack of support from the other end. Every captain wants his leading bowler to take wickets. Bowlers hunt in pairs and after Kumbles retirement,Harbhajan doesnt have support from the other end. Earlier,Kumble used to create all the pressure.
Now,Harbhajan doesnt have anybody to complement him. Things have become worse in Sri Lanka with Zaheer Khans absence. Theres nobody to set it up for him upfront, says Pataudi,adding that the doosra too isnt a secret weapon anymore. Over the years batsmen have managed to unlock its secret.
At the same time,the selectors are woefully short of spin options and there isnt any alternative for Harbhajan. R Ashwin is considered a shorter-version specialist while selectors are strangely reluctant to consider Murali Kartik. Amit Mishra,Pragyan Ojha and Piyush Chawla havent cashed in on their chances yet and the cupboard looks bare.
