Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has launched a scathing attack on the Indian cricket team management, accusing them of sabotaging players’ confidence by playing overly spin-friendly pitches in Test cricket.
Harbhajan Singh, one of India’s top spinners, said the aggressive drive to win three-day Test matches has been damaging to batsmen’s confidence and long-term development.
In fact, Indian batsmen performed disastrously against spin bowlers in the recent ODI series in Sri Lanka, which added to their effectiveness against the spin pitch. In recent years, India’s strategy for home Test matches has been all about exploiting spin-friendly pitches to secure wins, which contributed to their impressive streak of 17 consecutive series wins.
Harbhajan Singh slams Indian cricket team management for bowling spin-heavy pitches
However, this approach has affected the form of their own batsmen. Notably, players like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, who previously thrived in local conditions, have seen significant declines in performance.
Since 2020, only Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja have maintained averages above 40 among Test regulars in home matches. On the other hand, Kohli’s average has dropped from 75 before 2019 to 34, while Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have struggled with averages of 24 and 18 respectively and lost their place in the Test squad.
According to Harbhajan, the Indian cricket team’s obsession with setting up spin-friendly pitches and doing so too frequently from day one has had negative consequences. By forcing batsmen to attack spin from day one, rather than allowing conditions to evolve more naturally, the Indian team has created a scenario where bowlers constantly struggle against spin.
This led to a loss of self-confidence and technique on the part of the Indian batsmen. Moreover, Harbhajan believes that if India had produced more balanced pitches, the batsmen would have had the opportunity to adjust and develop their innings, which would have led to better overall performance and increased confidence.
The legendary spinner has further emphasised that a shift towards standard pitches could allow India’s formidable pace and spin attack to shine for a longer period, winning matches on the fifth day rather than rushing results.
We have taken a toll on our batsmen’s confidence: Harbhajan Singh
As India prepare for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19 in Chennai, Harbhajan Singh said they still have time to rectify the problem as beating India in Tests will not be easy.
Harbhajan Singh told Sports Tak: “We have started playing on pitches that turn a lot more. We wanted to win and we did win, but we wanted to win in two and a half days.
“I think if we had thrown normal pitches that started spinning from Day 3 and Day 4, we still would have won, but the hitters would have had time to adjust. And we wouldn’t be discussing our hitters’ struggles against the spinners. We took a toll on our hitters’ confidence because anyone gets out (cheaply) with those pitches.”
He added: “We still have a chance (to rectify this). If we play on good pitches, I don’t think anyone can beat India. The pacers and spin attack that they have, would definitely win you matches on Day 5, if not Day 3.
“But if you bowl good pitches, the batsmen will score runs and their confidence will go up when they score runs. So, I don’t think our batsmen have forgotten to bowl with spin, but the conditions have been such (in recent years) that it has become almost impossible.”
