New Delhi: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has sharply criticised the excessively bowler-friendly and underprepared pitch used at Eden Gardens, describing it as destructive for Test cricket. His remarks came after India lost the first Test against South Africa by 30 runs while chasing a modest target of 124, with the match ending inside three days, as per agency report.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said the nature of pitches being prepared in recent years has damaged the essence of Test cricket. He stated that such conditions prevent real player development and give a false impression of progress simply because bowlers take wickets and teams occasionally win.

The former off-spinner, who took 13 wickets at this venue during India's historic win against Australia in 2001, said this pattern has continued for many years and is not a new trend. He emphasised that playing on such surfaces offers no long-term benefit, comparing it to running in circles without meaningful advancement.

Harbhajan pointed out that pitches like these prevent batsmen from learning how to build innings, leading to dismissals caused more by the pitch than by bowling skill. He said this erases the distinction between a capable bowler and an accomplished batsman, making the contest imbalanced and undermining the true spirit of Test cricket.

The former cricketer, who has taken 417 wickets in 103 Tests, added that it is time to reflect on where such pitch preparation practices are taking Indian cricket. He expressed concern that players appear as if they do not know how to bat in such extreme conditions, which he believes does not help the game evolve.

India and South Africa will play the second and final Test of the series from November 22.

New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh expressed his confusion regarding the discussions surrounding England all-rounder Moeen Ali's use of a spray to alleviate pain in his finger.

He further said if the same had been done by a batter, nobody would have even taken note of it.

"Don't understand so much chatter around Moeen Ali using spray on spinning fingers to numb the pain. Only issue is he should have informed the umpires, but if the batsman gets a blister under the gloves, and he gets a spray. Will anyone even notice. Same logic, think about it ? #Ashes2023," Harbhajan posted on Twitter.

During the 89th over of Australia's first innings at Edgbaston Moeen was seen applying a drying agent to his bowling hand at the boundary line while fielding to deal with the blisters.

As a result, he was found to have breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game and was fined 25 percent of his match fee from the first Ashes Test against Australia.

New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh opined young Rinku Singh was the X-factor for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) this season and not star all-rounder Andre Russell.

Rinku has been the standout performer for the two-time IPL champions. He has scored 407 runs in 13 matches this season at a strike rate of 143.31 and an average of 50.88.

"Now Rinku has become the X-factor for KKR, not Russell. Russell's era is gone. It's Rinku's time now. Even if Rinku is sent up, he can do justice to his role. He is a player of different calibre and we will soon see an India cap on his head," Harbhajan said while speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live.

Meanwhile, former India chief coach Ravi Shastri said that Rinku is the star of the KKR team and has a very strong attitude.

"Rinku Singh is the hero of Kolkata Knight Riders. His temperament is very strong and gets very comfortable in tough situations. He's a battle-hardened player. Rinku likes close matches and this ability to do well in crunch situations is what separates this player from others," said Shastri.

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has urged MS Dhoni to not break hearts and hurt the feelings of his fans', saying that Chennai Super King skipper should keep playing in IPL as he has a lot of cricket left in him.

In an IPL 2023 match on Sunday, the attention will be once again on Dhoni and the CSK captain will be eager to collect two crucial points against a vitriolic KKR side.

Batting mostly at No 7 or 8, Dhoni has scored 96 runs in 12 games with an impressive strike rate of 204.25 so far in the season.

"MS Dhoni has stopped time. He still looks the same old Dhoni. He's hitting those big shots, taking those singles. Although he's not running at his full speed, he's hitting those sixes at ease and still looks dangerous with the bat. Don't hurt our feelings MSD. You should continue playing," said Harbhajan on Star Sports' Cricket Live.

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Mithali Raj has lauded the CSK captain for keeping the noise out and helping the team do what it is known for i.e. consistency.

"There are a lot of noises when a player approaches the back end of his career. MS Dhoni shut the noise brilliantly and guided his team slowly in this season. He's helped CSK stay in the hunt for the top two spots so far. It's not just his captaincy, but also the on-field strategies that he's made has helped CSK do well," said Mithali.

"He made several smart moves in the tournament. Rahane is a perfect example of how a player revives himself under a good captain," he added.

The win against KKR at home will put MS Dhoni's team in the IPL's final-four for a staggering 12th time.

Kolkata, May 12 (IANS) Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reckons Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is forcing the national selectors to take notice of his talent and give him an India call-up, post his record 13-ball fifty in a stunning nine-wicket takedown of Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

Chasing 150, Jaiswal began like a high-speed Ferrari as he scored 50 in just 13 balls, including smacking 26 runs in the opening over off Nitish Rana. In the process, Jaiswal reached the quickest fifty in IPL history with the help of seven fours and three sixes, surpassing the previous record of a 14-ball half-century in the tournament scored by K.L. Rahul in 2018 and Pat Cummins in 2022.

"Yashasvi Jaiswal isn't just knocking at the doors of the Indian Cricket Team, he seems to be breaking it with his consistently good performances. He's carried his imperious form of domestic cricket into IPL. What a talent he is! The future of Indian Cricket is in good hands," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by Star Sports.

Jaiswal was sparkling in his strokeplay, combining bravado and fearless approach to hit 13 fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 208.51 to be 98 not out while sharing an unbroken 121-run partnership with captain Sanju Samson for the second wicket as Rajasthan are now at third position in the points table.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri agreed with Harbhajan's opinion on Jaiswal and claimed the time is ripe to include young talents in India's T20I side as senior players prepare for the ODI World Cup, to be held at home later in the year.

"If Team India is focusing on ODI World Cup, selectors should look to give as many opportunities to the youngsters like Yashasvi and Rinku. These players should be fast-tracked and can be prepared for next year's T20 World Cup in West Indies. If the selectors don't pick them now then I don't know what else they are looking for," he added.

Previously in the match, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal became the highest wicket-taker in the tournament's history, going past Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. With his mesmerising spell of 4-25, Chahal now has 187 wickets in 143 matches, over'aking Bravo's tally of 183 wickets, while also being the leading wicket-taker in the competition.

Harbhajan signed off by hailing Chahal for his consistently good show and playing with batter's minds in the competition.

"Yuzvendra Chahal does not play the format but plays with the mind of the batsmen. He bowls completely with his mind and is not afraid of getting hit for sixes. He makes the best use of the pitch, and due to this the batsmen find it difficult to play him."

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) The iconic Wankhede Stadium is set to celebrate two big occasions as Mumbai Indians host Rajasthan Royals in the reverse fixture in the IPL 2023 in the evening game on Sunday.

In what is going to be a double delight for the spectators tonight, the IPL is set to host its landmark 1000th game while Mumbai Indians' skipper Rohit Sharma will be playing at his home ground on his 36th birthday today.

IPL 2023 might not have been a memorable one for Mumbai Indians and Rohit Sharma so far as the franchise finds itself at the bottom half of the points table but this team knows how to bounce back.

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag claims despite losing two games on the trot, MI is still capable of a comeback and skipper Rohit Sharma - who is going play his 150th match as IPL captain - shouldn't take any undue pressure.

Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live, Sehwag said, "MI have definitely lost two matches but all is not over for them. Rohit should not come under the pressure of captaincy and play his game freely. This team has the potential to bounce back. It can still qualify for the playoffs."

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan reckons Mumbai Indians are struggling in IPL 2023 because their bowlers are unable to maintain pressure on new batters.

"The problem with MI bowlers is that they are allowing the new batters to settle. They have even allowed the uncapped batters to play aggressively. Almost every bowler, except Piyush Chawla, didn't bowl consistently in the right areas."

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh also agreed with Sehwag's opinion and said the legacy of MI is such that every player wishes to be a part of this franchise and it will be Rohit's responsibility to revive it in IPL 2023.

"MI has had a different legacy. Every cricketer aspires to be a part of this franchise. Although the situation has changed a bit this year, Rohit has the responsibility to revive this legacy. They have many young and talented players. Now, it is his job to groom these players."

Chennai, April 21 (IANS) Having won by eight runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore, four-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) return to their home at Chepauk for another southern derby clash, this time against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday.

The MS Dhoni-led side will be raring to return to winning ways at home as they lost to Rajasthan Royals in a high-scoring last-over thriller last time. With the crowd set to turn out in yellow in huge numbers, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has donned the yellow jersey in the past, claimed there c'n't be a bigger cricketer in the country than Dhoni.

"Mahendra Singh Dhoni is only one. There cannot be a bigger cricketer than him in India. Someone could have scored more runs than him and someone could have taken more wickets than him, but no one has a bigger fanbase than him."

"Dhoni has accepted this fandom to heart and he respects his teammates as well. He walks with so much love and emotion that anyone else would go mad, but Dhoni has carried this love and emotion in his heart for 15 years and he still hasn't changed at all," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by Star Sports.

Apart from Dhoni, all eyes will be also on all-rounder Shivam Dube, who set the stage on fire with his towering sixes against Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. Harbhajan lauded the left-handed batter for his range of shots and added that Dube should continue getting the chance to bat higher in the order more often.

"Shivam Dube's hitting range is tremendous. Whenever the ball comes into his hitting arc, he dispatches it for a biggie. CSK banks a lot on players with such qualities. Shivam should continue to get opportunities to bat at the top."

Talking about Thursday's evening clash, where Delhi Capitals got their first win of IPL 2023 in a last-over chase against Kolkata Knight Riders, former England captain Kevin Pietersen was critical of the performance put up by David Warner & Co, pointing out that their batting still remains a concern.

"Games like these give you confidence. There was a sense of relief in the camp. We've seen Mumbai Indians do (this) a couple of times in the past. They were unstoppable after coming on the winning track. Could it be the same for Delhi?"

"We'll have to wait and see. Warner led from the front with his captaincy and batting. He was, unfortunately, let down by the team. Batting still remains a weak link for them."

New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) The 'Impact Player' in the IPL 2023 has garnered everyone's attention from the day BCCI announced its introduction in this edition.

In the opening match of IPL 2023 between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, one thing that was on everyone's mind was how the teams are going to use it and who will be the designated 'impact players'.

While teams in IPL are taking nascent steps on how to ace it, the experts, meanwhile, have given thumbs up to the 'Impact Player'.

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes the teams might need some time to ace this new rule.

"You need some time to understand new rules and acclimatise with new playing conditions. The same will be the case with all ten teams in the TATA IPL 2023. They will need some time to ace it," Gavaskar told Star Sports.

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, meanwhile, lauded the think tank in IPL for coming up with this innovative rule.

"It's a very innovative move as you can now replace a player whom you feel is not suitable or has served his purpose with someone who can make an impact in the current playing conditions. So, kudos to BCCI, it's a very good rule," he added.