http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292 reckons Harbhajan's absence is costing India in the series against Australia - Cricket News Update
The legendary Pakistani pacer, Wasim Akram, reckons absence of an experienced off-spinner of Harbhajan’s stature was the main reason behind India’s recent back to back defeats against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 down under.
India has lost the opening two games of the ongoing four-match Test series against Australia and are trailing the hosts 0-2 in the series. Dhoni’s men lost the series opener at Melbourne Cricket Ground by 122 runs before facing
an innings and 68 runs crushing in the Sydney Test last week.
In the Sydney Test, the Indian bowlers struggled for penetration as the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Clarke-c1978 led Australian batting line up went on to pile up a mammoth first innings total of 659 for 4 declared after rolling over the hosts for a meagre
191 in their first innings.
Wasim Akram said it would have been completely different for the tourists on the bouncy Australian pitches if they had selected experienced off-spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Ashwin-c2228, who was attacked by the Australian
batsmen due to lack of variety in his bowling. Akram further added that Ashwin is only successful on the turning tracks of subcontinent.
"It was evident that India missed Harbhajan. On pitches with bounce and grass, the job of the spinner is to contain and not look for too much of turn. Let the batsman hit out over your head,” said Akram in an interview to ESPNcricinfo.
"http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 needed someone experienced like Harbhajan, who knows how to stop the batsman from taking singles and maintains pressure from one end. The Australians were playing Ashwin with ease and changing strike without a problem,"
he added further.
The former http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nathan-Michael-Lyon-c78822 of Australia would be successful on the bouncy wickets down
under.
Harbhajan Singh has been continuously overlooked by Indian selectors since Australia’s winless tour of Australia where Bhajji failed to impress in the opening two Tests of the four-match series before returning home with an abdominal
strain and has not been picked in a national side since then.
Ashwin hasn't learnt to bowl on wickets offering bounce. He knows how to extract turn from helpful surfaces back home," said Akram.
Third Test of the four-match series starts at WACA, Perth on Friday, January 13, 2012.
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