Harbhajan's woes leaves India relying on reverse
Indian captain M.S
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Indian captain M.S. Dhoni hadn’t an explanation for the absence of reverse swing. Perhaps there’s something in the fact that South Africa managed to reap its benefits only after the ball was changed. Whatever the case, India’s fast-bowlers will need to find a way of harnessing reverse swing in Kolkata; the inclusion of Sreesanth seems a step in that direction, writes S Ram Mahesh in the Hindu.
The biggest bowling disappointment, however, was Harbhajan. Simply put, it was an unacceptable performance from a spinner who is pursuing greatness. He allowed himself to be persuaded too easily into bowling a leg-stump line. He created problems when bowling with greater over-spin, but surprisingly didn’t do more of it. Nor did he try and get the batsman to drive against the turn often enough. Where Harris bowled 19 maiden overs, Harbhajan managed just one, indicative of the measure of comfort Kallis, Amla, and later A.B. de Villiers played him with.
No international body ever indulges in amateurish approach when it comes to players’ fitness, but Indian cricket adopts different parameters for the selection of senior players. This is one big reason for India losing at Nagpur by an innings, says Makarand Waingankar, also in the Hindu.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo