Thaindian News

Kolkata, Feb 18 (IANS) Defying a shin bone pain, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh Thursday soldiered on to spearhead an Indian win at his favourite Eden Garden by being focused and keeping things simple.
“I really enjoyed the way I bowled here. Eden has always been special for me and I have done really well whenever I have played (here). I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that it will continue to be the same in future as well,” Harbhajan said after claiming 8-123 against South Africa in the second Test.

“I was in a lot of pain today. My shin was hurting but I tried to bowl the way I can do and I am very happy today,” he said after India levelled the series and remained the world’s top Test team by beating South Africa by an innings and 57 runs.

Harbhajan said he concentrated on bowling in the right areas.

“I knew that if I bowl in the right areas, then I will create the opportunities to get batsmen out. And that is what I was looking to do. I was very focused and I knew what I was doing and I knew my plans and we got it right.”

“I wanted to pitch the ball up and I wanted to get them leg before wicket or bat pad at silly point or in the slips, so there were a lot of options. That is what I was trying to do by keeping things simple,” he said.

On the partnerships late in the South African second innings, Harbhajan said: “In cricket, partnership will happen. You just have to be ready for the chances and you keep on bowling the way you know you can get people out. You just need to have patience and believe in yourself that you can get them out.”

“We bowled well and we took our catches and it is really great to be part of this team and to be number one,” he said.

He also praised Hashim Amla who almost saved the match for South Africa with an unbeaten 127.

“Obviously Amla batted very well. Most of the teams when they come here, they don’t know much about the spin - whether it is turning, bouncing or keeping low - from the wicket. But he was very calm throughout his batting and that was probably the key.”

“He kept on playing on to his style of cricket, he never took any chances, he never looked to do something fancy, he just played cricketing shots. I think he was the best batsman in the South African batting line-up.”

Harbhajan said the team missed the injured pacer Zaheer Khan on the last day. “It was a tough job and all the bowlers put up a great effort and we took our catches. It was a great team effort and we deserve to win this Test and being on top.”

Praising the Eden crowd, he said: “The crowd was fantastic. Eden has always been special. I have not heard this kind of noise anywhere in India. Even in Test matches we don’t get crowds but Eden has probably the best ground as you get the crowds for the whole five days. It does not matter whether India is batting or bowling.”

He described South Africa as a really a good side, but said the Indians played much better cricket at the Eden.

He said the hosts were prepared to fight till the very end and prove that the side had not got to its numero uno position among Test nations by fluke.

“Everyone was up for the fight and we knew that it was an important game for all of us. There has been a lot of talk about us that it was a fluke to be the number one side and all that. It was not a fluke at all, we have worked really hard to reach the top and today we have showed the world that we deserve to be number one,” he added.