Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Will Ashwin, Ojha's rise relegate Harbhajan to the sidelines?

November 10, 2011 10:36 IST

Harbhajan Singh, till recently a regular in the national team, appears destined to stay on the sidelines with debutant R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha doing exceedingly well in the opening cricket Test against the West Indies.

- Ashwin savours dream debut ahead of wedding

- 'I'm gifted to play alongside Tendulkar and Dravid'

Man-of-the-Match Ashwin took nine wickets in the match and Ojha claimed seven wickets to bowl India to an excellent five-wicket win at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

Harbhajan SinghHarbhajan, with over 400 Test wickets, was left out of the team for the first Test due to indifferent performances in recent months. The team for the second Test starting in Kolkata on November 14 is yet to be announced but the veteran off-spinner is unlikely to find a place in the squad.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a known supporter of Harbhajan, didn't say much about the possibility of off-spinner's comeback.

"Let's see. Ojha did well and Ashwin won man-of-match in his debut match," was all he said.