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Tough for Ashwin, Jadeja to return to India ODI side: Harbhajan

Harbhajan Singh says since Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are doing well it will be difficult for senior spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jaeja to return

By Unnikrishnan
Harbhajan Singh

New Delhi, September 22: Harbhajan Singh was overcome by a sense of deja vu while watching Kuldeep Yadav's hat-trick.

"Wahi opposition, wahi lamha, wahi ground aur ek spinner jiska age bhi utna (The same opposition, same ground, another spinner of same age). Somehow as I was watching Kuldeep bowl, my mind travelled back to that afternoon (2001 March) at the Eden Gardens. It is a great achievement," Harbhajan said, recalling his own hat-trick against Australia as a 21-year- old, in an epic clash at the same ground.

And now Harbhajan feels that the 22-year-old Kuldeep's performance will make it very difficult for the team management to readily bring back Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the 50-over format.

"It's always a difficult thing. If your current two spinners are doing well, then it becomes difficult for the senior spinners to make a comeback. For Jaddu and Ashwin, it will be an onerous task to make a comeback into the ODI side," Harbhajan said.

"At the moment, these two boys (Kuldeep and Chahal) are really doing well and I don't see them being replaced by Ashwin and Jaddu. You can't predict what's in store for the future," he said.

What makes Kuldeep-Chahal combination special is the fact that the wrist spinners' ability to extract something from the pitch is independent of the conditions.

"Wrist spinners have certain advantages which is not condition dependent. Chahal has a good googly and can get his leg breaks to turn sharply. Similarly, Kuldeep can also get it to turn both ways.

"His wrong 'un is very effective. They have that x-factor required at the highest level," explained India's third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

He also observed that when the duo is bowling in tandem, their variation of pace through the air also makes it difficult for the opposition batsmen to pick it up.

"Both also bowl at different pace through the air. Kuldeep is a bit slower through the air while Chahal has a lower trajectory with slightly more pace on his deliveries. They complement each other well. They have maturity beyond years and I am impressed with their ability to read the situations."

Story first published: Friday, September 22, 2017, 16:47 [IST]
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