Harbhajan Singh
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Template:Infobox Cricketer Harbhajan Singh (born: July 3, 1980) is a cricketer (right arm off spin bowler) from India. He was born at Jalandhar in Punjab. He made his Test debut against Australia at Bangalore in 1997 and his ODI debut against New Zealand at Sharjah also in the same year.
With a whiplash action, remodelled after he was reported for chucking in November 1998, he exercises great command over the ball, has the ability to vary his length and pace, and can turn it the other way. His main wicket-taking ball, however, is one that climbs wickedly on the unsuspecting batsman from a good length, forcing him to alter his stroke at the last second.
He did not make big inroads immediately in his international career (before March 2001, his average was 37.75), but during March 2001 against the Australians, Harbhajan took 32 wickets, which included a hat-trick, in three Tests his average decreased markedly and he has never looked back since.
He has made a few good scores as a batsman, but his average is less than 15 in both Tests and one-day internationals.
One of his nicknames is The Turbanator, based on his bowling skill and the fact that, as a Sikh, he wears a black turban whenever he plays. Harbhajan, or bhajji, as he is more popularly called, underwent major finger surgery early in the year 2004.
His doosra was the subject of an official report by match referee Chris Broad, on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Mark Benson, and TV umpire Mahbubur Rahman after the second test between India and Bangladesh at Chittagong, Bangladesh in December 2004. As of March 2005, the ICC cleared his action, saying that the bending of his elbow fell within the permitted limits.
External links
- Cricinfo Player Profile : Harbhajan Singh (http://ind.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/IND/H/HARBHAJAN_SINGH_06007139/)
- Indian Cricket (http://tendulkar.blogspot.com/)