With selection around the corner, Bhajji shows form

LONDON: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh sounded a timely wake-up call for the selectors before the announcement of the one-day and Twenty20 squad on August 7, with yet another strong performance — four for 64 — for Surrey against Worcestershire.

The Turbanator snapped up four wickets to put Surrey in a commanding position going into the final day and, in the process, staked a claim in the forthcoming seven-match ODI series against England.

Bhajji’s exploits helped dismissed the visitors for 217, 152 runs behind Surrey’s first-innings 369 in their County Championships Division One match at Guildford.

After Surrey enforced the follow-on, Worcestershire were 46-0 second time round 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 Surrey against Durham and then followed it up with another three-wicket haul against Yorkshire in the last match.

Spinners playing on the County circuit, including Saqlain Mushtaq, have expressed surprise at the exclusion of Harbhajan from the Indian squad touring England.

However, the Indian chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has stated that he would like to see the off-spinner flight the ball more. 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.