Harbhajan Singh turns 42 today
Highlights
- Harbhajan Singh has claimed 417 Test wickets
- Harbhajan also has 2 Test centuries to his name
- Harbhajan made his Test debut vs Australia at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Mar 25, 1998
Turbanator Harbhajan Singh, the former Indian spinner turned 42 on Sunday. One of the all-time greats of Indian cricket was born on July 3, 1980, in Jalandhar
"Everybody is a candle and not everybody is lit," says Harbhajan Singh who believes in living life king size. Bhajji aka Harbhajan who hails from Ludhiana was once ousted from National Cricket Academy for disciplinary issues. But the heap of talent that Harbhajan had overshadowed all his off-field antics. When Harbhajan debuted for India in 1998, not many gave him ample amount of chances to excel, but his career turned around when former Indian captain Saurav Ganguly backed him and selected him to play against the Australian cricket team on their home turf.
Harbhajan Singh repaid his skipper's belief and took the series by storm with 32 wickets in three test matches which included a hat-trick. The hat-trick that Harbhajan claimed was the first by any Indian. The Jalandhar-based bowler debuted at the time when Anil Kumble was wreaking havoc in world cricket. With Harbhajan inducted into the national team, both of them formed a lethal spin duo that led India to many victories. With Kumble leading from the front, Harbhajan always played second-fiddle and troubled batsmen across the globe.
After Kumble retired from Test cricket, Harbhajan took the responsibility of leading India's spin bowling from the front and delivered whenever the need arose. Despite all the talent that Harbhajan Singh had, he somehow lost track of his art once the star-studded IPL (Indian Premier League) came into play. Far from his best, the spinning wizard still played a huge role in India's 2011 World Cup-winning campaign.
Harbhajan was dropped for a long period with the likes of R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja making their mark on the Indian team. Even after major setbacks, Harbhajan continued to feature for different IPL sides which included the likes of Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Chennai Super Kings. The cricketer-turned commentator called time on his career on December 24, 2021.
