New Delhi: Comeback from a career-threatening injury is never easy and that’s why South African pace ace Dale Steyn might not turn out to be as big a threat for India in next month’s highly-anticipated Test series, feels senior spinner Harbhajan Singh.
Steyn was out of competitive cricket for a year after suffering a shoulder dislocation during a Test match against Australia last year. “Dale Steyn is unarguably the best fast bowler of the last 10 years but coming back into international cricket is not easy. A Test match against Zimbabwe will not exactly be an indicator of what he can do against India,” Harbhajan said.
“Look at the Indian batting line up. We have so much quality. Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma. This is perhaps among the best line-up in world cricket. For both Steyn and Morkel, it will be a challenge to stop this line-up especially when they themselves will need to get into the groove,” the ‘Turbanator’ assessed.
“The kookaburra ball, as everyone knows, will stop seaming after 20 odd overs. Plus it’s only the bounce that needs to be taken care of.”
There is a debate whether Hardik Pandya for his all-round abilities should be India’s choice as no.6 but Harbhajan thinks otherwise. He wants to see Rohit Sharma at the no.6 position as he is still not sure how Pandya would shape up as a batsman in that important position. “Rohit is a fabulous player. Someone who plays the pull shot well and also plays the cut shot well. Rohit is my pick at No.6. He can ride the bounce and play his strokes,” he further explained.
“Hardik is a talented boy but Rohit for me is a complete batsman,” Harbhajan gave his take on the subject. Harbhajan did not want to read too much into India not playing a practice game in South Africa before the first Test match.
Ashwin is the fastest to reach 300 Test wickets and that’s why it will be surprising if he is not an “automatic pick” in the Indian Test XI in Africa, feels Harbhajan Singh.
India are expected to play single spinner in the three Test matches and it is going to be a toss up between Ashwin and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. For Harbhajan, if Ashwin is fit, then there should not be any debate about who the single spinner in the playing XI should be. “If Ashwin is still not an automatic pick after 300 wickets then when.”
