Colombo, February 14 Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh expressed relief at seeing Abhishek Sharma regain his fitness, stating that the aggressive opener’s presence will help India neutralize Pakistan’s unorthodox spinner Usman Tariq in their T20 World Cup match here on Sunday.
Tariq’s performance against Indian batters at Premadasa will be closely watched due to his unusual bowling style, which involves a pause before delivery and a slinging action.
“You see, he’s a bowler who I’ve seen perform well in the ILT20, where he was one of the best bowlers. Whenever he got the opportunity to play in the semi-final and the final, he was the player of the match. He’s different from other spinners and has a lot of variations,” Harbhajan told PTI.
“People are talking about him for his ability to deliver under pressure. It’s not easy. Anyone can stand and bowl, but you have to have different variations, which he has, and he’s difficult to hit, especially on bigger grounds and slower pitches.
“So, all I want to say is that be careful when you’re playing against someone you’ve never faced before. India can handle him and not give him any big wickets. It’s good to see Abhishek returning, who plays spin really well and dominates (spin) throughout his innings,” he added.
However, what exactly does Abhishek, who has recovered from a stomach bug that forced him to miss the match against Namibia in New Delhi, bring to the table against spinners?
“Abhishek is a quality player. He is determined to win the match on his own. I’ve played a lot of cricket, and I know that he is a proper batsman who has all the shots.
“Many batsmen don’t have all the shots. He (Abhishek) doesn’t. He hits the first ball. And as long as he’s on the crease, he keeps hitting. So, he’s a proper batsman,” he noted.
Harbhajan also urged the teams to put aside the build-up to Sunday’s match and focus on the game.
“Of course, there were a lot of hurdles before this game, whether it would happen or not. But all that is in the past. Now, the focus should be on cricket, which is the main part. Of course, I’m hoping that India will play well in this game.
“Pakistan is also a very strong team, especially in these conditions, with their spinners bowling really well. So, I think it’s going to be a great game to watch,” he said.
The spinner, who has 711 International wickets, also opined that people should not unnecessarily fret over formalities like handshakes at the toss or after the match.
“That’s entirely up to the players. It’s not written in any book that after a match, a handshake should be done or a hug should be given. So, play the match. Play with all your strength.
“If you feel that after that the handshake should be done or a hug should be given…it’s fine. If we talk about Australian and English players, they sit together after the match. Cricket should be seen as cricket,” he said.
The 45-year-old hoped that the Premadasa would produce a high-quality match with an equal contest between bat and ball.
“If there is a little grass on it, then the seamers will also come in handy. This field is bigger than the rest, and the pitch here is usually good for batsmen. If there’s an India-Pakistan match here, the curators will also want some runs.
“And we hope that it will be such a pitch that in which the batsmen will also do well and there will be some help for the fast bowlers and spinners. So, it’s necessary to have a battle of bat and ball,” said Harbhajan.
