India play Bangladesh at home for the first time in 18 years in any format on Wednesday. India is yet to host Bangladesh for a bilateral ODI, T20I or even a Test series. The last time India hosted Bangladesh was in 1997-98 when they played a tri-series with Kenya in the gruelling May heat.
India has played Bangladesh thrice at home and won all three times.
The Lone Common Link
The one common link with India’s last match against Bangladesh at home and the WT20 match on Wednesday is just one man, Harbhajan Singh.
Harbhajan is the lone survivor from India’s five-wicket win over Bangladesh in Mumbai in May 1998. Harbhajan bowled four overs giving away 18 runs and was not required to bat.
Now 18 years on, Harbhajan is still in the Indian squad, but no longer sure of making the playing XI. Harbhajan has been warming the bench since January 2015 and has played just one match, against UAE in what was an inconsequential match in the Asia Cup.
No Longer First Choice
Harbhajan was 17 when he last played Bangladesh at home and was just starting out, but now at the age of 35 he needs a game to prove that he is still very much around.
Unfortunately, if India was to play an extra spinner, they would plump for the much talked about Pawan Negi. With Harbhajan’s competitor, Ravichandran Ashwin, still very much spinning a web, all the focus is on the variety that the other bowlers provide.
The off-spinner’s slot becomes vacant only if there is an injury to Ashwin like there was during the ODI series against South Africa.
Kudos to Team Think-Tank
Apart from that, Harbhajan is not really a certainty. He maybe India’s second most successful spinner ever and may have an enviable record, but that has not guaranteed Harbhajan anything in the final phase of his career.
If anything the Indian think-tank have shown an ability to live in the present and not rely on the past while making choices. Harbhajan made a brief return to the Test squad last year in Sri Lanka, but very soon lost his place in the XI. He bowled reasonably well against South Africa in the ODI series, but that did not guarantee him a place in the Test squad.
T20I Selection Warranted?
The only thing consistent with Harbhajan in the 2015-16 season has been his place in the T20I squad. With the number of Twenty20 Internationals set to dry up, this may well be the Harbhajan’s last fortnight in the Indian colours.
In any case, Harbhajan is there as an insurance and not really a first choice. It would have been better if Harbhajan had been spared the ignimony of not being picked despite being in the squad. With Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma also bowling off-breaks, maybe the need was for a leg-spinner to provide some more variety.
Fitting Finale Deserved
Harbhajan deserves a fitting farewell for his long service as an Indian cricketer. He is after all one of the last galacticos from our golden generation. But 18 years on, he will only watch India play Bangladesh at home from the dugout instead of being part of the action.
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