"Dented Confidence": Harbhajan's Dig On India's '2-And-Half Day Win' Style

After months of limited overs cricket, the Indian cricket team will start playing Test cricket once again starting next month. India will play Bangladesh in September while the big Australia Tour will start in November. Ahead of the Tour, spin great Harbhajan Singh gave an interesting opinion on India’s ability to play spin. While the bowlers have done well at home in helpful conditions, Harbhajan feels playing in such pitches has hit the Indian batters hard.  

“We’ve started playing on pitches that turn a lot more. We wanted to win and we did win but we won in two and a half days. I think, if we had produced normal pitches that started to turn from Day 3 and Day 4, we still would have won but the batters would have gotten time to settle in. We dented the confidence of our batters because anybody get out (cheaply) on those pitches,” Harbhajan told Sports Tak.

“We still have a chance (to rectify this). If we pay on good pitches, I don’t think anyone can beat India. The pacers that India have, the spin attack that there is, they would definitely win you Tests on Day 5 if not on Day 3. But if you play on good pitches, the batters will score runs, and their confidence will only go up when they score runs. So I don’t think our batters have forgotten to play spin but the conditions have been such (in the last few years) that it has become almost impossible,” he added.

He was also asked about the absence of players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Duleep Trophy. 

“It would be great if they (Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah) play in the Duleep Trophy 2024. When a big player features in these tournaments, it motivates other players who are playing alongside them. These players can make it better (Char Chand lag jayenge). However, it’s their call whether to play or not. I hope that they will feature in domestic cricket,” he said.