Selectors bring Bhajji back in Test team through IPL route

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20

Harbhajan Singh has made a return to the Indian Test squad, more than two years after he last played a Test match for India. Harbhajan was the second offspinner named in the 15-mamber Indian squad for the one-off Test match to be played against Bangladesh next month.

The selectors met today in Mumbai to select the teams for the Test match and three One-day Internationals on the tour of Bangladesh. The selectors retained most of the players who toured Australia for the ODIs, Tests and the World Cup in 2014-15.

Ravindra Jadeja was dropped from the ODI team, while Mohammed Shami, who was injured during the World Cup, is still not fully fit.

IPL form?

Harbhajan seems to have been picked up on the basis of his form in the IPL, because his recent first-class record has been miserable. He played only three out of eight matches played by Punjab in the Ranji Trophy, opting out of the others after citing illness or injury. He picked up only six wickets in those three matches, despite bowling 87 overs, and averaged 42.5.

Harbhajan has had a rough ride over the last four years, after being dropped during India’s tour of England in 2011, when he played two Tests and picked up only two wickets. He didn’t do much better on Indian wickets when he was recalled, taking seven wickets in three Tests against England and Australia. Harbhajan suffered in comparison with his spin competitors in the team, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha, who took a total of 97 wickets among them in those two series against England and Australia.

Harbhajan has taken 16 wickets in the 14 matches played for Mumbai Indians in the current IPL season.

Lefties in B’desh team

The chairman of selectors, Sandeep Patil, said that Harbhajan was brought back into the team because of the high number of left-handers in the Bangladesh team.

“The Bangladesh batting order has six left-handers, keeping that in mind, we discussed with the captain and we felt it was necessary to have a second offspinner,” Patil said. “I also want to point out we not only discussed Harbhajan. We also discussed other youngsters and considered them. Ultimately the selection committee and the captain felt this was the right choice for this particular tour.”

He also said that Harbhajan was not included for the three-match ODI series because the selectors didn’t want to chop the team and disturb the combination that had reached the World Cup semifinals.