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Bowling slow paid dividends for me: Harbhajan

By IANS

Melbourne : Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who entered the 250-wicket club Friday, feels that bowling slow in the second innings Friday, on the slow and low Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch did the trick for him and earned him three crucial Australian wickets.

“In the second innings today, I bowled slow and took a lot of time to deliver the ball, compared to the first innings where I was rushing in to bowl,” said Harbhajan after the third day’s play here.

“I was little relaxed today. I knew one or two wickets would get my rhythm back and after scalping Hayden I started enjoying my bowling,” he added.

Harbhajan, however, said that there was hardly any assistance from the pitch for the slow bowlers.

“I was just trying variations and angles by going over the wicket and round the wicket, now and then as there is hardly any spin. The wicket is too slow and not like usual Australian pitches,” he said.

The 27-year-old off-spinner also said his getting 250 wickets would boost his performances in the upcoming matches.

“It’s a good feeling to reach 250 Test wickets, but I have to bowl better in the coming matches. It takes time to adjust in these (Australian) pitches. The more I play here, the more I will learn,” he said.

“It is just my second trip to Australia. Last time when we toured Australia, I just played the first Test.”

Harbhajan was also of the view that India’s poor batting in the first innings made the difference between the two sides, otherwise the match would have been in even stages for now.