Harbhajan turns it for Surrey

India discard Harbhajan Singh gave the selectors a wake-up call on Friday, ahead of the selection of the limited-overs and Twenty20 squads on August 7, with a stirring performance for Surrey against Worcestershire.

The ace off-spinner, a replacement for Azhar Mahmood, bagged four wickets for 64 runs to put Surrey in a commanding position going into the final day of the County Championships Division One match at Guildford. In the process he staked claim for a berth in the ODI team for the forthcoming seven-match series against England.

Worcester were dismissed for 217, 152 runs behind Surrey's first-innings 369.

After Surrey enforced the follow-on, Worcestershire were 46-0 when bad light ended play.

Out of favour after a disastrous World Cup in the West Indies, the 26-year-old spun Surrey to victory with a three-wicket haul in his first match for the county against Durham and then followed it up with another three-wicket haul against Yorkshire in the last match.

In just three championship games, Harbhajan has done enough to suggest that he could be Surrey's ticket to Division One survival.

Worcestershire's Stephen Moore and Phil Jaques were at the crease, unbeaten on 31 and 12 respectively, with the visitors trailing by 106 runs.