Ex-India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recounted an unusual event when Sachin Tendulkar lost his cool on him. Tendulkar is known for his humility and calmness, but during his 24-year career, he occasionally lost his temper.
Harbhajan remembered being unfocused on the boundary line during a tour game in Australia. Tendulkar, the team captain, scolded him on the field.
He wrote in a chapter in the soon-to-be-released book ‘Sachin@50’:
“Bhajji, please know one thing. You have seen my good side, but if I want, I can be rude, and you wouldn’t like to see that side of me, you better concentrate.”
Harbhajan also spoke about how Tendulkar guided him as he advanced in his international cricket career. Harbhajan added:
“Sachin, I remember, pulled a chair and sat beside me long after the Test got over. ‘Bhajju, have you seen a racehorse? It doesn’t look sideways. It doesn’t have peripheral vision. It looks straight, and eyes are transfixed on the target. You have to be that. You cannot be distracted by the stardom which you have attained now.”
“Sachin stood by me like a rock during those dark days”: Harbhajan
Harbhajan Singh rose to prominence in the 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a series of unimpressive performances since his 1998 debut. He took 32 wickets and was named Player of the Series as India won 2-1.
Harbhajan and Sachin Tendulkar contributed with the ball in the historic second Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Harbhajan took a hat-trick, and Tendulkar claimed crucial wickets. Along with VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s batting in the second innings, their efforts helped India achieve one of their greatest Test victories.
Harbhajan wrote about an incident with his teammate after the Test match:
“There were two things that I remember after the Kolkata hat-trick. First, Paaji came up to me and said: ‘Bol Bhajji kya chahiye tujhe (Tell me, Bhajji, what do you want?).’ I hesitantly said, ‘Paaji, I love your Adidas bowling spikes. Can you get me a pair?”
“Sachin laughed and said, ‘Bas itni si baat (That’s it. That’s all you want?)?’ Within a week, an Adidas representative came with a couple of expensive bowling spikes, which I used for the next three years.”
Harbhajan remembered how Tendulkar supported him during the ‘Monkey Gate’ controversy on India’s 2008 tour of Australia. He recalled:
“The kind of support I got post the infamous Monkey Gate was incredible. He defended me stoutly in front of the match referee and the CA panel. Sachin stood by me like a rock during those dark days when I was at my lowest ebb.”
Sachin Tendulkar was not only a legendary cricketer but also a great teammate. His contributions in the dressing room, mentoring newcomers and giving advice were as crucial as his batting achievements.