Ponting is an average captain: Bhajji

Harbhajan Singh tells Ankita Pandey that India can beat Australia anywhere and at anytime. Excerpts:

You had a great series against Australia. Must be special after the controversies of the last series?
Playing well against Australia is a high. We put in a lot of effort throughout the series. It was an emotional series, considering two senior members of the team were retiring. I was happy that I was able to contribute both with the bat and ball. People might call it my revenge series against Australia, because of all the controversies that had happened. I don’t look at it that way. I took 15 wickets and made some crucial runs. It was as good as perfect.

Can you say that the Australian domination is over?
We know that we are better than this Australian team. We can beat them in any condition, on any pitch, in any country, home and away. We would have beaten them back in Australia also but for some controversial decisions. Here, we have outplayed them. In fact, I think this Australian side is very weak and any other top-ranked team can beat them too.

Which of your performances in this series did you enjoy the most?
In Bangalore, the partnership with Sourav (37) and then the 80-run stand  with Zaheer in the first innings was crucial. We were in a tough situation. It was very satisfying then to come good with the bat. Then in Mohali, taking those three wickets in two overs was very special, because it turned the game for us.

Picking up Hayden, Katich and then Hussey — three big wickets — really broke their back. I enjoyed that a lot. Then in Nagpur, putting up a 100-run partnership with Dhoni when we were in a tricky situation and the four wickets in the second innings. Getting Hayden’s wicket was big. He was playing really well at that time and was very aggressive. Of course I’ll remember my 300th wicket. I wish I could have played in Delhi too.

Would you rate this series as highly as the one in 2001?
No. That series was much better. That Australian team was awesome. They had great players like McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist and they had a great captain in Steve Waugh. Nothing can match beating them in such a dramatic way. That series was best that I have played in. This series has been special because it was very emotional, with Anil bhai (Kumble) and Dada (Sourav Ganguly) playing their last matches.

You don’t think very highly of Ricky Ponting as a captain.
Ricky was winning matches because he had great players like Gilchrist, Warne, McGrath. They won him matches and he got the credit. Now that they are gone, we can see that he is not an inspirational leader. He made mistakes in this series. He is a very average captain. And he is a very average player too, especially here in India. He made a hundred in Bangalore on a flat track. Otherwise he doesn’t have a clue against spin. I can get him out anytime I want.

Kumble believes that you will become the highest wicket-taker for India.
I don’t know if I will get 600 or even 500 wickets, but that Anil bhai has so much faith in my abilities feels good. I have learnt a lot from him. I respect him a lot as a player and as a person. I can promise him that I will always play to the best of my abilities and give my best to Indian cricket.

Do you think you can enjoy the longevity that Kumble enjoyed? He played till 38.
You cannot plan how long you play for. There are so many things that can happen. It’s a dream to play over 100 Tests for India and go on and on. But sometimes injuries can cut short your career. Things are going well for me now, but a bad patch and I can be out of the team. So you really can’t plan these things. I’ll be blessed if I get to play that long.

With Kumble retired, you are the senior spinner.
I have always looked up to Anil bhai. When he was there things were much easier. Now it’ll be a lot more difficult. But I am not one to shirk away from responsibility. I quite enjoy it and I have been shouldering them since 2001. Of course, Anil bhai’s absence means new challenges. But I am ready.

What was the relationship you shared with Sourav Ganguly?
Sourav is the best captain we have had. He has served Indian cricket really well. I am glad that we were able to win this series for him and Anil. He was the one who got me in to the side against Australia in 2001. I am so glad that I justified his confidence and picked up 32 wickets in that series. I share a great relationship with him. He was always there for me and the others as well.

He did extraordinarily well in rebuilding the team after the match-fixing scandal. I salute him and all that he has done for Indian cricket.

Do you think this Indian team can maintain the consistency to be the best side in the world?
Definitely. We have the talent and the will. If we continue to play as a unit, there is no team that can beat us.