Published: Jun 16, 2015, 05:14 AM (IST)
Edited: Jun 16, 2015, 05:14 AM (IST)
Harbhajan Singh made a comeback to the Indian side after over two and a half years in the one-off Test against Bangladesh. He picked up three wickets but was picked in the squad for a reason — to combat the many left-handed batsmen in the Bangladesh line-up. Now that the Test is over India no longer need Harbhajan, feels Pramod Ananth.
Virat Kohli publically stating he would prefer to play five bowlers and six batsmen the side gives room for that additional spinner to come into play. India’s frontline spinner at the moment is Ravichandran Ashwin, who is also a more than decent batsman and can be handy at Nos. 7 or 8. He has dug India out of trouble with the bat on more than one occasion with the bat. READ: Virat Kohli’s decision to field six batsmen and five bowlers could backfire on India
Picking up three wickets does not warrant Harbhajan a place in the future series. To begin with, Bangladesh are not among the leading Test nations. Secondly, this was a one-off Test. Had this been a proper three- or five-Test series one could have acknowledged the fact that they were thoroughly tested. I had earlier stated that Harbhajan did not deserve a place in the series; I stick to that.
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India can certainly do with some variety. During early 2000s Harbhajan had formed a formidable partnership with Anil Kumble. India already have a well-established off-spinner in Ashwin; under such circumstances, a leg-spinner or a left-arm spinner will probably be a good option. India did pick leg-spinner Karn Sharma in the squad but did not pick him. Karn made his debut in against Australia in December 2014, but had a torrid time. A Test against minnows could have given him the much-needed confidence. Counter-point: Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh should be persisted with by India
Karnataka leggie Shreyas Gopal can be given a look in too. He was pivotal in Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy 2014-15 triumph and surely deserves a look in. He picked up 28 wickets from 11 matches and was one of the better spinners in the tournament.
Shahbaz Nadeem, too, had an excellent outing for Jharkhand with 28 wickets from 8 games. He along with Samar Quadri bamboozled the batsmen and picked up a total of 57 wickets between them. If the selectors need to pick an off-spinner who has actually performed, they can go in for M Rangarajan, the best spinner in this Ranji Trophy season with 36 wickets in 10 games for Tamil Nadu. Due to his effort Tamil Nadu made it to the final, but fell short yet again.
The upcoming tour of Sri Lanka in August can be a good time to try some of these bowlers out. The conditions will not be significantly different from those back in India, and as a result the new entrant(s) may adjust soon. Harbhajan has had a fantastic career, but it is time that he moves aside and lets the new generation of spinners take over at the helm of affairs in the Indian team.
South Africa come to Indian shores in October 2015. They have in their ranks some of the best players in contemporary cricket — Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, for example. Once again, it will be a good opportunity to check the sorts of talent India have at their disposal. READ: Should Ravi Shastri be really worried about Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman?
India is certainly not short of spinning options, but they will have to give upcoming talent a go at the highest stage. Having people like Harbhajan (who are past their primes) around for a long time will reduce the chances of some new faces making it to the side by that much.
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
