Spin legend Harbhajan Singh believed that the hosts lacked a specialist off-spinner for the five-day match after South Africa outplayed India in the two-Test series and demanded that Washington Sundar be given increased workload.
South Africa’s spinners, who took 25 wickets in two Test matches, eclipsed India’s spinners. The majority of the damage was caused by off-spinner Simon Harmer, who took 17 wickets at an average of 8.94 in four innings.
“Looks like (India doesn’t have a specialist right-arm off-spinner for Test cricket),” a PTI report quoted Harbhajan as saying.
According to Harbhajan, Washington, the spin all-rounder from Tamil Nadu, still has ways to go before he can establish himself as a specialist off-spinner and be a comparable all-around replacement for the legendary Ravichandran Ashwin.
“I think Washington Sundar is there, but we will have to bowl him more. He will have to be bowled for 30-35 overs in a Test match to make a bowler out of him,” said Harbhajan, in Mumbai on Saturday.
The third-highest wicket-taker among Indian spinners, Harbhajan, believed that India would need to abandon the practice of using rank-turners in home Test matches.
“The kind of pitches we have been playing on, there is no requirement of making a bowler out of anyone because every delivery spins or some straightens,” he said.
“A bowler can (only) be considered good when he takes wickets on good pitches,” Harbhajan added.
According to Harbhajan, the development of Test cricket players in the country has halted as a result of playing on rank turners at home, thus it is imperative that India start building quality pitches.
“We should play on good cricket pitches — it is high time,” he said.
“It has been more than a decade playing on those pitches where there has not been overall growth of (Indian) cricket. If you look at it, we are stuck at that one place and when we play on good wickets, it becomes a case of being required to look into the mirror,” he added.
Harbhajan stated that Indian batsmen also need to get better wickets at home, citing the England visit earlier this year, in which Shubman Gill scored 754 runs and guided his team to a 2-2 draw in a five-Test series.
“We did well in England. When we go outside of India, our batters get the opportunity to score runs. (But) if you don’t give chance to your batters, then how will it be possible for them to win matches (at home)? It is high time India start playing on good tracks.”
According to Harbhajan, India cannot claim to be promoting Test cricket if they dish out wickets like they did in Kolkata, where the Test finished in three days on a twisting, dry field.
“We keep on talking about saving and promoting Test cricket, but this is not the way to save Test cricket.”
“If you want to save Test cricket then we need to start playing on good tracks, which allow your bowlers and batters and everyone to be in the game,” said Harbhajan, who had used the hashtag “RIPTESTCRICKET” on social media after the Kolkata Test ended inside three days.
