He backed himself for a comeback. It was excruciating to sit out, watching the green tracks in frustration even on home contests. His comeback trail had become a tortuous exercise. Age was certainly not on his side. But the spirit was his strength. “I have to play a Test again,” was his refrain the entire season. He was bogged by minor health issues but Harbhajan Singh ploughed on. And now this reward!
The same selection committee had refused to consider Harbhajan’s claims. There were whispers about his action and how the threat of being ‘called’ was imminent. The Punjab off-spinner was baffled. He did go through the corrective measures and returned to domestic cricket a confident man. No more doosra he was told. He was game.
“Hopefully I can come back to Tests,” he had said a day ahead of the selection. It helped him that the selectors could not find a worthy second off-spinner in the country. They had names like Parveez Rasool and Jalaj Saxena, the latter a regular member of the India ‘A’ squad for some years now, to discuss. Little-known Assamese offie Swarupam Purkayastha, with 36 wickets this season (five five-wicket hauls) may have fancied his chances too. But Harbahajan’s experience was the clinching factor.
“Just a comeback, nothing else,” was Harbhajan’s reaction. He was “elated” but “cautious” too. “I have been handed a task and I don’t want to disappoint those who have reposed their faith in me,” said the veteran of 101 Tests and 413 wickets.
“Self-belief and spirit are my strengths. I told myself that nothing would happen without self-belief and I had to keep working hard.”
“He is bowling well. He is not pushing the ball fast,” Punjab coach Bhupinder Singh (Sr) would say in his support.
When you play, the aim, as Harbhajan emphasised, was to play for India. “Every time I held the ball, I told myself it was a step towards a comeback. I had my plans in my place. Sometimes they worked. Sometimes they did not. But I worked towards my goal.”
Looking ahead, Harbhajan, 34, noted “I’ll be doing what I’ve been doing. Playing cricket to the best of my abilities. The first Test or the 100th, I know I’ve to bowl to take wickets. It won’t be any different in Bangladesh. I’ll be the same, trying to dominate . I’m excited no doubt.”
The off-spinner has been picked to tackle a pre-dominantly left-handed batting line up of Bangladesh. “They have done well at home and have shown (recently) they are an improved side. It will be a challenge.”
