India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Sunday, January 6, banned for three Test matches after International Cricket Council Referee Mike Procter upheld the Australian team's charge that he racially abused Andrew Symonds.
Match referee Farokh Engineer, who is adjudicating in the slap row involving Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth began his hearing at the Maurya Sheraton in New Delhi on Monday afternoon. Besides Harbhajan and Sreesanth, Lalit Modi, Chief Commissioner of the Indian Premier League, and commentator Harsha Bhogle are attending the hearing.
The Indian off-spinner's haul of 6 for 36 helped the English county skittle out Hampshire for 146 runs.
Balram Singh met Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh in Sydney.
As the beleaguered Indian cricket team start picking up pieces after a forgettable first Test, the spotlight is firmly fixed on team's senior-most pro Harbhajan Singh whose unimpressive show in the 63-run defeat has raised question marks about his future.
Daljit Singh, one of the 116 illegal Indian immigrants deported from the US on Saturday night, has claimed that they were handcuffed with their legs chained during the journey. Singh, who traveled via the 'donkey route', an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter the US, said that he was deceived by a travel agent who promised him a direct flight to the US. The C-17 aircraft that landed at the Amritsar airport on Saturday was the second batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants. A third plane carrying 157 deportees is expected to land at the Amritsar airport on Sunday.
The off-spinner will try and bowl his natural line and length and pick wickets in the next Test.
Back in the national fold after a two-year hiatus, Harbhajan Singh immensely appreciates how Test captain Virat Kohli and Team Director Ravi Shastri made him feel 'wanted' in the team.
India's ace spinner Harbhajan Singh has served a legal notice on Vijay Mallya-owned UB Spirits over a television advertisement that shows Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni "mocking" at him.
The decision came after the ace Indian off-spinner informed the county that his injured finger is still swollen and painful.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was included in India's 30-member probables for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, bowled an economical spell though without a wicket till tea on the first day of his side Essex's County Championship Division Two match against Hampshire at Chelmsford.
Both players have been ruled out of the remaining one-day internationals against Pakistan due to injuries.
The other Indian bowlers who have taken 300 Test wickets or more include Anil Kumble (619), R Ashwin (524), Kapil Dev (434), Harbhajan Singh (417), Ishant Sharma (311) and Zaheer Khan (311).
Mumbai Indians bowling coach and mentor Shaun Pollock today said that there is nothing to worry about captain Harbhajan Singh's extended lean patch with the ball.
"I am disappointed because I love watching him against other teams," said the Indian off-spinner of Matthew Hayden.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has hailed Harbhajan Singh's comeback to the ODI team and said it's a good opportunity for the veteran off-spinner to make a mark following his return to the 50-over format side after a gap of four years.
Spin bowler Harbhajan Singh's mother has filed a legal notice against a liquor company for running an advertisement in which captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni ridicules her son, local media reported on Tuesday.
BCCI chief Ranbir Singh Mahendra said it is surprising that the off-spinner's bowling action is under suspicion.
Harbhajan Singh does not doubt mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis' potentials but the star off-spinner believes it is old trickster Muttiah Muralitharan who would pose bigger threat for the Indian batsmen in the forthcoming Test series. Harbhajan heaps praise on Mendis, who ran through India's batting order in the Asia Cup final in Karachi, and said it was an extraordinary display of quality spin bowling.
Gujarat Lions skipper Suresh Raina, Mumbai Indians spinner Harbhajan Singh and Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar have got a place in former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting's Best XI of Indian Premier League 2017.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was on Monday banned by the Indian Premier League for rest of its matches for slapping paceman S Sreesanth, has replied to the Cricket Board's show cause notice issued to him.
Would they have complained had they won the Mumbai Test, asked the ace Indian off-spinner.
Geeta Basra and her daughter Hinaya are twinning in the sweetest way. Take a look!
Ashwin's age is certainly a factor that is being kept in consideration.
Sachin Tendulkar scored a superb 138 and Harbhajan Singh claimed five wickets as India beat Sri Lanka by 46 runs in the tri-series final.
Former spinner Harbhajan Singh believes India made a mistake by picking four spinners for the T20 World Cup.
Mumbai Indians' off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was fined $15,000 for abusing Deccan Chargers' Tirumalasetti Suman during their IPL match on Sunday
The off-spinner said the team stood united in the hour of crisis and was the catalyst behind India's stunning win in Perth.
On Wednesday, former South Africa batsman Jonty Rhodes shared a picture on Instagram in which he sported South Africa's jersey and captioned the post as "Feels good to be back in the green and gold, even if it is only for a shoot at the iconic #mehboobstudio in Mumbai #stillflying.
Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is recuperating well from his shoulder injury, which has kept him out of action from Punjab's last two Ranji Trophy encounters, and is expected to return to competitive cricket in another 10 days time.
The sting in a "totally fit" Harbhajan Singh's bowling is on its way back and the out-of-favour off-spinner is eying a comeback into the Indian cricket team at the earliest.
"We have issued a show cause notice to Harbhajan for which he has been given time till Monday evening to reply. He can play in the match," BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah told PTI. The match between Mumbai Indians, which has been captained by Harbhajan due to the groin injury to Sachin Tendulkar, and Hyderabad's Deccan Chargers is to be held at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
A day after reports claimed that Sachin Tendulkar helped Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh bury the hatchet of the Sydney Test racial row scandal to become friends, the Indian off-spinner described the Australian all-rounder a "great guy".
English spinner Graeme Swann's success in South Africa last season could inspire Harbhajan Singh to achieve greater deeds during India's three-match Test series against the Proteas, feels batsman Ashwell Prince.
'It was Symonds who was the first aggressor and Harbhajan retorted.' said V R Manohar, BCCI-appointed lawyer for the off-spinner, in Mumbai.
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh left Australia with a parting swipe to his critics and opponents by saying he would not tone down his on-field behaviour.
Opener Virender Sehwag has backed teammate Harbhajan Singh, saying it is "just a matter of time" before the off-spinner gets back in form to regain his place in the Indian team.
Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's appeal against the three-Test ban will come up for hearing on January 29-30 at Adelaide, according to an ICC spokesman.
Former players including Sachin Tendukar, VVS Laxman, and current players like Yuzvendra Chahal and Mayank Agarwal paid tribute to Harbhajan Singh, who retired from cricket.
Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh have been ruled out of the remainder of the England Test series because of injuries. Virat Kohli and Pragyan Ojha have been named replacements.
