Dare I suggest that Harbhajan's revival as a bowler and his great performance in this series and the fact that Rahul Dravid just took over the captaincy is more than a mere coincidence ? Oh of course, how could I forget ? This is my blog and I shall bloody well say what I feel here. This is not someone else's forum where the Ganguly police are waiting to capture you if you even utter a word against his performance.
Yes, it is not coincidence. It is simply that Dravid has handled Harbhajan much better than Ganguly. He has utilized him as an attacking option rather than a defensive one. So even though Harbhajan has picked up only 6 wickets in 6 matches he has always looked a dangerous bowler likely to pick wickets and the batsmen have been scared of him. At the same time his economy rate if anything has improved slightly. Did you guys notice the return of the lovely loop that had been missing all this while ? The way he pulled batsmen onto the front foot and forced them to make the play ? Unlike in Zimbabwe where the batsmen with the greatest ease in the World could turn him around the corner for runs without threat. In fact even when Dravid had taken over the captaincy in Sri lanka I had begun to notice a difference (a positive one) in Harbhajan's bowling - unfortunately it did not last.
Poor naive Bhajji almost destroyed his career by his outburst against Chappell earlier this month. It is to Chappell's credit that he has not allowed that to hamper Harbhajan's chances and that he has stayed extremely professional - perform and you are welcome, don't and you are out mantra. In fact Chappell has done his best to help Harbhajan technically - neither Bhajji nor Ganguly was intelligent enough to recognize the benefits of Harbhjan going round the wicket which GC did in no time - I had mentioned this too earlier.
Bhajji you should be smart enough to know what's good for you and not get too emotional for after all you are a very very good bowler and India needs you to perform well.
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4 comments:
"ganguly police" - LOL
anyways, feel free to say what you feel (thats the constitutional right of everyone) but please be rational (i dont mean u r not at all)
ganguly IS in bad form - true
ganguly IS behaving like a child - true
ganguly WASNT intelligent enough to decide how bhajji should bowl - you should have said this in march 2001 to score your most hilarious joke!
dude, don't say
"neither Bhajji nor Ganguly was intelligent enough to recognize the benefits of Harbhjan going round the wicket "
coz ganguly knew very well how to use bhajji effectively (remember all those "ideal matches") and ganguly was "intelligent" enough to recognize his potential (and he has even used bhajji round the wkt)
just because he couldn't use him effectively in one season doesn't validate your statement
now, nobody could dare make such a statement on ganguly's intelligence when he was on peak! (but thats how journalism works, right?)
(BTW, it seems dravid knows how to use bhajji, unfortunately cant watch cricket here :-( )
btw, awaiting your post on "England - Pak" test! have some comments on your views about shoaib akhtar
om,
point taken. however was it really ganguly's on-field handlinf of bhajji that was so intelligent ? of the field yes, he recognized his talent and backed him to the hilt. but on the field it is just that bhajji had a dream series in 2001, i think.
however, i do believe that in test matches bhajji has always been fine becoz he is looking to take wickets. it is in the odis that ganguly tended to use him as a stock bowler in a defensive mode and that has now been changed by rahul.
ok!
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