"We wanted to win in two and a half days" - Harbhajan Singh blames India's Test pitches for batters' spin woes
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reckons that the team's batters have struggled against slow bowling in recent times because of the kind of pitches on which Test cricket is being played in India. According to Harbhajan, Test surfaces in India are turning a lot more. As a result, home team batters have also struggled, thus denting their confidence.
India went down to Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-match away ODI series recently. This was the Men in Blue's first bilateral one-day series loss to the island nation since 1997. The defining aspect of the series was the manner in which Sri Lanka's spinners dominated India's batters.
Speaking to Sports Tak, Harbhajan opined that India's spinning pitches in Test cricket are responsible for the batters' woes. He said (as quoted by India Today):
"We've started playing on pitches that turn a lot more. We wanted to win and we did win but we wanted to win 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. And we wouldn't be discussing the problems of our batters against spinners.
"We dented the confidence of our batters because anybody get out (cheaply) on those pitches," the 44-year-old went on to add.
Speaking of the India vs Sri Lanka one-day series, leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay was the leading wicket-taker, picking up eight scalps in two matches. Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage claimed seven wickets from three matches, while part-time off-spinner Charith Asalanka also chipped in with six scalps.
"If we play on good pitches, I don't think anyone can beat India" - Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan had an impressive record in Test matches in India. In 55 games, he claimed 265 wickets at an average of 28.76, with 18 five-fers and four ten-wicket match hauls. The former India cricketer believes that the hosts do not need to produce excessively spinning tracks to win Test matches at home.
"If we play 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," the Turbanator explained.
"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 concluded.
Harbhajan represented India in 103 Test matches, claiming 417 wickets at an average of 32.46, with 25 five-fers and five 10-wicket match hauls. He is fourth on the list of Indian bowlers with the most wickets in Test cricket.