Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has said he would not make any comment on Steve O’Keefe’s sensational performance in Pune until he performs on a good Test wicket.

On a wicket that was assisting the spinners right from the first ball, the Australian spinner wreaked havoc on the Indian batsmen, taking a career-best 12 for 70 to help Australia thrash the hosts by 333 runs. The 33-year old’s match figures is the second best figures for a visiting bowler in India after 13/106 by Ian Botham in Mumbai in 1980.

The ‘Turbanator’ also criticised the Pune pitch after the match ended inside three days.

“To be honest, that wasn’t a pitch. Test cricket should last five days. You cannot play on such wickets where anyone runs in to bowl and takes wickets. I have played in over 100 Tests, and I know how hard I had to work to earn every single wicket,” Harbhajan said.

“When you prepare such a wicket, you are making conditions favourable for the opposition as well. That’s what happened in Pune. When I say a good Test wicket, I mean a strip where the ball does not shoot up from the first day itself,” he added.

When asked to comment on O’Keefe’s performance, the Punjab ace said:

“I will have to see him bowl on a good Test match wicket. Not this one. Till then, I will reserve my comments.”

He further said the spinners only had to maintain a good length to get wickets on such a rank turner.

“You don’t need to flight the ball or anything. You just need to bowl fast and not give the batsmen room to either come down the track, or be able to manoeuvre the ball around. Bowling six deliveries in the same spot is all you need to get wickets on such tracks,” he concluded.