I don’t play for critics: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh, fresh from his match-winning performance in Hamilton, tells DNA that it was not his best away from home although it came at the right time

Would you rate Saturday’s 6-63 as your best away from home?
No. I have bowled better many times. In Jamaica I ended up with the figures of 5-13 against West Indies. We won that Test match too. Yes, but this was very satisfying. The conditions and situations were very difficult. It is very difficult for a spinner to bowl in such conditions. I am sure my best performance is still yet to come.

Were you getting any help from the wicket?
Nothing. There was absolutely no help from the wicket, nothing in it for the spinners.

With Zaheer, Ishant, Munaf and you — is it correct to say that this is the best bowling attack we have had in a long time?
They are all good bowlers. Zaheer and Ishant have been doing very well for a long time. It’s great to see Munaf also chipping in with a few wickets. It is important as a team to do well together It’s after all a team game. We had to all contribute and fire for the team. Yes, we are very good attack.

What is this team’s secret of success?
We have worked really hard. We have had some plans. We have stuck to them. We tried to keep things as simple as possible. And it worked for us. The secret is just hard work and the will to win.

Are there any targets that you have set for yourself?
Most important is to win the series. I want to contribute with the ball, with the bat, in whichever way I can. Among other things, I want to be remembered also as the spinner who did well in New Zealand. I want to keep things as simple as possible, play to my strengths and hope for another good game.

You weren’t considered as effective a bowler in alien conditions. Does 6-63 silence the critics?
I don’t play for the critics. I play for my country. I am proud of what I have achieved. I can’t keep everyone happy. I am proud that I have taken this six-wicket haul and won the game for India. I hope I am able to repeat this performance and help India win the series. The most important thing is that every time I have stepped on the cricket field for India, I have given my best.

What do you make of this current New Zealand side?
They are quite a good side. They bat low down the order. They know their conditions better. They have beaten Australia in Australia. It’s just that we are playing better than them. But we can’t take them lightly. They can come right back in the second Test. We have to be really on our toes, work hard and start everything again.

You are particularly close to Sachin Tendulkar. Any comments on his 42nd Test hundred?
He is an inspiration, just such a fantastic person and player. When he is in the middle, batting looks so easy that I feel I can bat like him. It’s great that he has scored a big hundred in ODIs and then got another one in the Hamilton Test. I hope he continues with this form and scores another two in the next two matches.