By IANS
Melbourne : Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who entered the 250-wicket Test club Friday, said that India can still win the Test match by achieving the improbable target of 499-run against Australia.
I his comments after the third day’s play in the first cricket Test here, he felt with all the wickets in tact and 180 overs of play over two days, the Indian batsman should entertain hopes of winning, though it is an uphill task on a pitch which is slow and low.
“It is a stiff target but achievable with the kind of batting line-up we have. If we play to our potential I think anything can happen. This is a good wicket to bat on and I think batsmen are looking forward to go out tomorrow and show some character,” said Harbhajan.
“And if we can win it will help us in the remainder of the series. Whatever happens we will give our best shot to win this game.”
Harbhajan was also of the view that India’s poor batting in the first innings is the difference between the two sides, otherwise we would have had an even chance of pulling it off.
“It is a totally different sort of conditions. First of all we didn’t get much time and side matches to acclimatise. It takes time for players to adjust to these conditions,” he said.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting is Harbhajan’s 250th victim. He picked up three wickets for 101 runs in the second innings and bettered his one for 101 in the second innings of the 2003-04 Brisbane Test.
Harbhajan with 251 wickets is the fourth Indian after Anil Kumble (591), Kapil Dev (434) and Bishan Singh Bedi (266) to achieve the feat.
The 27-year-old off-spinner also said his feat would give him big boost in the upcoming matches.
“It’s a good feeling to reach 250 Test wickets, but I have to bowl better in the remaining Tests. It takes time to adjust on these (Australian) pitches. The more I play here, the more I will learn,” he said.
The off-spinner also added that bowling slow in the second innings on the slow and low MCG pitch did the trick for him.
“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.
“I was a 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 as there was hardly any spin. The wicket was too slow and not like the usual Australian pitches,” he said.