Prasanna, Sivaramakrishnan welcome Harbhajan’s omission for Aus tour

By CricketCountry Staff

 

Former Indian spinners Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Erapalli Prasanna have welcomed the decision of the Indian selectors to drop Harbhajan Singh for the four-match Test series against Australia, starting December 26.

Harbhajan Singh was not included for India’s bilateral series with England and West Indies at home © Getty Images

By CricketCountry Staff

Mumbai: Nov 27, 2011

Former Indian spinners Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Erapalli Prasanna have welcomed the decision of the Indian selectors to drop Harbhajan Singh for the four-match Test series against Australia, starting December 26.

Harbhajan was not included by the All India Senior Selection Committee in the 17-man India squad for the Australia tour, which also includes Zaheer Khan, who is yet to prove his fitness.

Backing the decision to drop Harbhajan, who has an impressive record against Australia, Prasanna said, “Even if there was place for a third spinner in the side, I wouldn’t have picked Harbahajan at this stage. He needs to get lots of wickets in first-class cricket, work hard, and return to the fold.”

The selectors retained Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin, who bagged 42 wickets together in the recently concluded three-match Test series against the West Indies.

Selection committee chairman Kris Srikkanth justified Harbhajan’s omission saying: “In Australia, you cannot have more than two spinners.”

Sivaramakrishnan told MiD DAY, “Harbhajan is a splendid bowler. If you take him to Australia, you have to play him in the XI. But with Ojha and Ashwin doing so well, that’s not going to happen. So what’s the point of taking him? I am still confident that he will make a comeback at some stage, but it’s not his time now, Ashwin and Ojha have impressed me a lot,” he said.

“I have been particularly satisfied with Ojha’s performance. He turned this match (third and final Test against West Indies) on its head with a six-wicket haul. Ojha took advantage of the rough patches on the surface…” he added.

“India will look to play both him and Ashwin at Sydney, where the pitch takes turn. I think we have the right set of spinners for Australia,” said Sivaramakrishnan.