ICC T20 World Cup 2016: Why the next game against Australia could be Harbhajan Singh's biggest ever
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Hardik Pandya sends down a back-of-a-length ball outside off. MS Dhoni dashes to the wicket before Mustafizur Rahman. India snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat and keep their hopes alive to qualify for the semifinal.
While that may seem like an impressive performance on paper, the fact remains Hardik Pandya was not that great with his line on Wednesday. So when India will take on Australia in a crucial Group 2 encounter of the ICC World T20 2016 at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Sunday, Harbhajan Singh's selection might not look good.
But can we think of anyone better than Bhajji to win us a match against Australia?
It is not possible for Harbhajan to dislodge India's frontline spin options, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. But he can certainly replace Hardik Pandya for this game as the ‘Turbanator’ of Indian cricket has proved his mettle in big tournaments.
Why Turbanator and not Hardik Pandya?
There is no denying the fact that Ashwin is by far India’s leading spinner across all formats at the moment. Also, the probability of India accommodating two off-spinners in the playing XI is very remote.
With two left-handers, Usman Khawaja and David Warner, in Australia's top four, Harbhajan knows what can work and which line will get results for him.
He might have his own whims on the field but as far as selection is considered, there is very little chance of Dhoni disturbing the winning combination. Add to that the fact that the pieces of puzzle are starting to come together after the New Zealand game.
But Harbhajan has reserved some of his best performances against Australia. Even in T20Is, he has a very sound record against Australia. If he plays Sunday's match, he doesn't need to experiment with anything like the carrom ball against Steve Smith or David Warner.
The table below gives Harbhajan’s T20 record against Australia in all venues:
| Teams | Matches | Wickets | Bowling average | Bowling SR | E/R |
| Overall | 28 | 25 | 25.32 | 24.40 | 6.20 |
| Australia | 5 | 2 | 41.50 | 48.00 | 5.18 |
Form is temporary, class is permanent
Harbhajan has a class which gives him an advantage over Hardik Pandya against the mighty Aussies.
The off-spinner was an important part of India in the ICC World T20 2007 victory. He played a major role in the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali domestic tournament too. He picked up 9 wickets from 5 games and his bowling average was pretty impressive.
While India have played 11 T20 internationals since January, Harbhajan got his opportunity against UAE in a dead rubber, where he returned with figures of 4-1-11-1.
Although he faded out after the advent of Ashwin, you can never count his 'never-say-die' attitude out. His fighting spirit made him India's lead spinner for nearly a decade.
He has his core strengths – the off break, the doosra and the yorkers. The last of those was memorably used to floor Michael Clarke in the second semi-final at Durban in 2007.
After Yuvraj Singh scored 70 off 30 balls, RP Singh along with Harbhajan Singh changed the game and India were in the finals. His 24 runs in 4 overs helped India defend 188.
Let's not forget that Clarke's was the wicket that tilted the scales in India's favour. No one can take that away from him.
Biggest game of his career?
Before questioning his ability, let's remember that Harbhajan bowled against world-class Australian batsmen like Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting, and Symonds. He has showed throughout his career on many occasions that he has the experience to win matches for India.
This can be the biggest game of his career at his home ground in Mohali. He has consistently performed in the Indian Premier League. Be it through his consistency or his patience, Bhajji has always forced the batsmen to go for big shots resulting in wickets.
And if IPL is not a criterion, then what should be considered for selection in a T20I game?
He has already proved his love for the game with his fearlessness and passion. He can bounce back, stay calm and do his job. Instead of putting doubts into his mind, why not let him retire gracefully?
Let's not judge his capability in must-win games. Let's repay him for his contribution towards Indian cricket. Harbhajan deserves to go out on a high for his service.