Harbhajan Singh, a former off spinner for India, is regarded as one of the best Indian spinners in recent memory.
The 42-year-old recently came up with an experience during the 1999 India tour of Australia. Harbhajan Singh related a story of how Sachin Tendulkar, then-India’s captain, yelled at him for being preoccupied.
Sachin Tendulkar lost his temper after becoming sidetracked on the boundary line, he recalled. A “few pretty girls” seated near the boundary line distracted the former spinner on his maiden trip to Australia when he was barely 20 years old, according to Harbhajan. For a 20-year-old who had just begun touring and was on his first trip to Australia, stealing a few sneaky glances and exchanging grins were, in my opinion, standard procedure, Harbhajan Singh writes in the recently released “Sachin@50.”
“Now, due to my inattention, I was slow to anticipate a couple shots that were coming in the direction of the border. However, things took a turn for the worst when Sachin began calling for a field change while I was busy ogling. Instead, he was beside me and obviously enraged before I even realized it. “Bhajji, I need you to know something. You’ve seen my nice side; nevertheless, if I choose to be rude, which you wouldn’t like to see, you’d best pay attention, he continued.
You can’t let fame get in the way: Sachin Tendulkar
Harbhajan Singh also discussed how Tendulkar’s counsel enabled him to achieve the success he did in international cricket in his writing. The former Indian spinner recalled how Tendulkar sat with him for a long time after the Test ended and offered him some insightful counsel.
“Sachin, I recall, dragged a chair and sat next to me once the Test was finished. Have you seen a racehorse, Bhajju? It doesn’t appear to be tilted. It does not have a wide field of vision. The eyes are fixated on the object and appear straight. You must embody that. You can’t let your current level of fame deter you, Harbhajan Singh wrote.
Home