Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh expressed relief over Abhishek Sharma’s return to fitness, highlighting that the dynamic opener’s presence will aid India in countering Pakistan’s unconventional spinner Usman Tariq in their T20 World Cup match on Sunday.
Tariq’s performance against Indian batters at the Premadasa will be closely observed due to his unique pause before delivery and his slinging action.
“See, he’s someone I have seen bowl in ILT20, where he was one of the standout bowlers. Whenever he played in the semifinal and the final, he was the man-of-the-match. He is different from other spinners and has many variations,” Harbhajan told PTI.
“People are talking about his stand-and-deliver action. It’s not easy. You know, anybody can
stand and bowl, but you’ve got to have different variations, which he has. He’s hard to hit on bigger grounds and slower pitches.
“So, all I want to say is to be a little mindful when playing against someone you have never faced before. India can manage him and not give him any big wickets. It’s good to see Abhishek coming back, as he plays spin really well and dominates it throughout his innings,” he added.
But what exactly does Abhishek, who has recovered from a stomach bug that forced him to miss the match against Namibia in New Delhi, bring to the table against spinners?
“Abhishek is a quality player. He is determined to win the match on his own. Having played a lot of cricket, I know that he is a proper batsman with all the shots.
“A lot of batsmen do not have all the shots. Abhishek is not like that. He hits from the first ball. And as long as he is at the crease, he keeps hitting. So, he is a proper batsman,” he noted.
(With PTI Inputs)
