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Five for my critics: Harbhajan
Kingston, May
20:
Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said Sunday his
five-wicket haul against the West Indies in the fifth and final Test
here was for his critics who believed he could not succeed overseas.
The
21-year-old finished with 5-138 for his maiden five-wicket haul in
away Tests to help his team bowl the hosts out for 422 in the first
innings.
India were
141-4 in reply at stumps on the second day at the Sabina Park.
"A lot of
people have said I'm good only at home," said Harbhajan, who rose to
fame with a 32-wicket haul in three home Tests against Steve Waugh's
Australians last year.
"I'm happy
with the five-wicket haul, but I think I could have done better," said
Harbhajan who has so far bagged 104 wickets in 25 Tests, including
eight hauls of five or more wickets in an innings.
"I'm happy
with the way I bowled as there was not much in the pitch for me on the
first day. I was just trying to bowl a good line and length.
Hopefully, I'll get a lot of five-wicket hauls in the future."
Harbhajan said
he now wanted to silence his critics with his batting and had been
practising hard in the nets.
"They've been
saying I can't bat, but I want to prove a lot of my critics wrong with
my batting. I'm practising hard in the nets and I hope to score runs
in this match," said Harbhajan.
Harbhajan
missed the first Test against the hosts at Georgetown due to a
shoulder-injury before returning for the next two matches at
Port-of-Spain and Bridgetown.
He took three
wickets in the second Test and as many in the third before being
dropped for the fourth match at Antigua.
"I don't think
I've been struggling on the tour," he said. "I think I bowled well at
Port-of-Spain and Bridgetown. It's just a matter of time before I
start taking wickets."
Harbhajan said
he hoped the wicket would help the spinners as the match progressed.
"It'll be good
for me as well as the team if the pitch is going to turn in the second
innings," he said.
"Hopefully,
we'll get some runs on the board. It's a five-day game and anything
can happen. We just need one big partnership and I'm confident we'll
make 350 or 400."
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