Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reveals some funny incidents during his rivalry with Ricky Ponting.
Sport is nothing without emotion. The elation of a bowler on getting an important wicket, and the delight on the face of a batter after getting to a three-figure mark. The ability of bowlers to get under the skin of their counterparts, and a fitting reply after scoring a boundary off the very next delivery. And to add to all the drama, an exchange of words in the middle of the pitch. These are the moments that spice up cricket. Though they have had their fair share of controversies in the past, these are the moments on which the game rides. In a recent podcast with Ravichandran Ashwin, Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh shared insights about his rivalry with Ricky Ponting, especially in his early days.
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Harbhajan Singh spoke about his incident with Ricky Ponting in a game in the 1998 Coca-Cola tri-series. He referred to himself using English slang after getting the wicket of the Australian great. Ponting smashed Harbhajan for a six, followed by a boundary over covers. The very next ball was a doosra from the Indian spinner, which Ponting failed to read. He came out of his crease again, wanting to tonk the ball for a boundary. As a result, he was stumped by Nayan Mongia, and Harbhajan said something to him which didn’t sit quite well with the Aussie legend. Ponting then came fuming towards Harbhajan and caught him off guard. The Indian off-spinner still remembers the incident to date and shares some amusing insights about the same.
Harbhajan had never played against Ponting before that game, which sparked the beginning of an astounding rivalry.
“I had heard that word [an English slang] a lot from my seniors back then. I thought of the word as something very cool. He hit me for a six and a boundary. The next ball, I bowled a doosra, to which he stepped out and got stumped. The moment he got out, I went to him and expressed myself, using a word whose meaning I didn’t know. I was trying to be cool and aggressive.”
But this wasn’t going to be taken by Ponting. The Australian was then seen charging towards Harbhajan, fuming over what he’d said. The Indian bowler recollects himself in a state of angst.
“The next moment, he charged towards me. Suddenly, I was on the back foot, not understanding what had happened to him [Ricky Ponting]. I thought to myself that if he comes anywhere near, he will hit me.”
After the incident, the match referee had a word with Harbhajan Singh. Mohammed Azharuddin was also present with the off-spinner. The match referee, Talat Ali, asked Harbhajan if he understood what he said to Ponting. The officials handed over a piece of paper to the Indian. It was a letter informing him about a deduction in match fees, as well as a ban from the next game.
“The match referee, Talat Ali, called me after the game and asked me if I knew what I said to him. Mohammed Azharuddin supported me and pleaded with Talat Ali to drop the matter. But just as I left the room, they gave me a piece of paper which mentioned a 100% match fee deduction and a ban for the next match.”
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In another incident, Harbhajan Singh got Ricky Ponting out in Sydney. The dismissal was the result of a cheeky catch to short silly-point, and the bowler was in complete ecstasy. What followed was an iconic celebration, but the fun began after Harbhajan narrated the incident exactly as it happened. He expressed that after taking the wicket, he ran towards the dressing room in complete happiness. But once he reached almost the boundary, he seemed blank, not knowing how exactly to celebrate. And hence, he started rolling over. He rolled over thrice, then got up to check if his turban was in place and proper shape.
“I didn’t know what to do. I almost ran towards the balcony where we sat and watched the game. Then I started rolling, and I couldn’t stop after one roll because I was in momentum. After three rolls, I stopped. Then I checked my turban to see if it’s all good. That was a crazy celebration”, said Harbhajan in the podcast.
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