Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed confidence in India’s ability to bounce back with the bat in the World Test Championship final against Australia, following the dominant performance by the Aussies on the opening day. After winning the toss, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma elected to field first and opted for a four-seamer strategy, leaving out R Ashwin. Although Mohammed Siraj provided an early breakthrough, Travis Head and Steve Smith’s unbeaten 251-run partnership propelled Australia to a commanding position at 327/3.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan stated that he expects India to perform well with the bat and emphasized the favorable batting conditions at The Oval. He cited the good form of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, the improved weather conditions, and the pitch becoming better for batting as the game progresses. Harbhajan believes that India won’t encounter significant difficulties while batting.
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Regarding the team selection, which drew criticism for excluding Ashwin, Harbhajan defended the decision, stating that the selection was appropriate considering the conditions. However, he acknowledged that the game unfolded differently from what was anticipated.
“Only the toss went in India’s favor, after that it was all Australia. India did not have a grip on the game in any of the sessions. Considering the conditions, the team selection was right, but it did not pan out as hoped. The lines kept getting wider, and the length also kept dropping,” said Harbhajan Singh.
Furthermore, Harbhajan criticized the Indian seamers for their failure to make effective use of the new ball on day one, highlighting that all four of them made the same mistake. He observed that the Australian batsmen comfortably played on the back foot, and despite the opportunities created, the lack of wickets undermined India’s efforts.
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“The Australian batters were comfortably playing on the back foot. India did not make the most of the new ball. There was a lot of carry on offer, and the ball beat the edge a couple of times as well, but that does not matter unless it results in a wicket. It was not one bowler who made the mistake; all four seamers made the same mistake,” Harbhajan Singh remarked.
With Harbhajan’s backing and belief in India’s batting prowess, the team will aim to stage a strong response with the bat and turn the tide in the ongoing World Test Championship final.
