"Pehchano to maaane" - Harbhajan Singh quizzes fans to identify players from a throwback photo from his U-19 days
India's veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh intrigued netizens by sharing a picture from his U-19 days on his social media accounts. The photograph uploaded by the 41-year-old also featured Imran Tahir and Hasan Raza, who were part of the Pakistan squad for the U-19 World Cup in 1997-98.
India had emerged victorious in their clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in that edition of the U-19 World Cup. Singh impressed with a tidy spell in the game as he conceded just 27 runs from 7 overs. He also claimed Shoaib Malik's wicket in the fixture.
Watch Harbhajan Singh's post here:
"Pehchano to maaane.. U-19 World Cup days 1998/99."
Pehchano to maaane.. U-19 World Cup days 1998/99 https://t.co/2iawM1dSUK
Both Tahir and Raza failed to make an impact in the game against India. While Tahir went wicketless, top-order batter Raza managed to score just 7 runs in the crucial encounter. India ultimately secured a stunning 5-wicket victory in the encounter.
The 1997-98 edition of the ICC event was hosted by South Africa. Despite representing Pakistan in the U-19 age bracket, Tahir later went on to make his international debut for South Africa in 2011.
Notably, both Singh and Tahir have also shared dressing rooms in the Indian Premier League for a couple of years. The spinners were part of the Chennai Super Kings squad.
"I feel this is the best chance for India to beat the Proteas in South Africa" - Harbhajan Singh
India have never won a Test series in South Africa. However, Singh believes the visitors have a significant opportunity to trump the Proteas in their own backyard this time. Singh said:
"I feel this is the best chance for India to beat South Africa in South Africa because if I talk about their team, it is not as strong as they used to be. Even a few years ago when AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis were playing, they have never let India win there."
He made these remarks while speaking about India's upcoming tour of South Africa on his YouTube channel. He noted the absence of star players like AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis as major reasons why Virat Kohli and co. have the upperhand going into the series.