The former off-spinner of the Indian side, Harbhajan Singh, has expressed his concern at the recent struggle of the national side in the longest format as a sudden decline saw them losing the three-match Test series at home against New Zealand and getting defeated in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 down under for the very first time since 2014-15.
It was a superb first half for the blue brigade as they went on to draw the red-ball series in South Africa on the back of their victory at Newlands in Cape Town, the series win over England by a margin of 4-1 at home, lifting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados and earning another series win over Bangladesh by 2-0.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan Singh pointed out the recent struggle of the side, particularly in the red-ball format, and requested the team management to prioritize performance over reputation in the player selection.
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“Everything was fine till Rahul Dravid (the former head coach of India) was there. India won the World Cup, and everything was fine. But what happened suddenly?” Harbhajan Singh raised questions, highlighting the drastic dip in the team’s results under the new head coach of the side, Gautam Gambhir.
“You should not pick players on reputation”- Harbhajan Singh
India went on to lose their first ODI series in Sri Lanka after nearly a couple of decades before earning a Test series defeat at home for the very first time since 2012-13 against England. It was also their first-ever home Test series whitewash. India, under Jasprit Bumrah, made a colorful start in the BGT 2024-25 with a 295-run victory but went on to lose the series by 3-1.
“In the past six months, we lost to Sri Lanka, a series whitewash against New Zealand, and now a 3-1 defeat in Australia. Everything seems to have fallen apart.” Harbhajan Singh explained in the video.
Both the senior players, Rohit Sharma- the regular Test captain of the side, and Virat Kohli- the former captain of the Indian team, have been under scrutiny for their underwhelming performances during the Australia trip. The latter managed just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with the best score of an unbeaten 100, while Rohit managed only 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20.
The Punjab-spinner suggested the selectors and management move away from the ‘superstar attitude’ and only focus on the player’s form and potential.
“Every player has a reputation. If this is the thing, then add Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, or those who have been India’s biggest match-winners. BCCI and selectors should take hold. India should leave behind the superstar attitude.” Harbhajan Singh added.
The youngsters of the side, Sarfaraz Khan or uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran, didn’t get their chances in the series despite the poor performance of the veterans. The Bengal opener has drilled over 7674 Test runs in 101 games at an average of 48.87 with the help of 27 centuries and 29 half-centuries.
“Abhimanyu Easwaran was taken on tour, but he didn’t play. He can become a player for India if he is given the opportunity. Sarfaraz is the same case. The player who performs should go (to England). You should not pick players on reputation.” Harbhajan Singh concluded.
The upcoming England trip to India will be in June, as the spinner advised the BCCI and their selectors to rebuild and reflect. Harbhajan Singh asked for a fair selection to get the team back on track.