'Jealousy at its peak': Twitter attacks Harbhajan Singh after his cryptic tweet on Australia using Ashwin doppelganger
Harbhajan Singh came up with a cryptic response to Australia using Ravichandran Ashwin's doppelganger to prepare for the upcoming four-Test series against India.
Earlier this week, Australia arrived in India for the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy, that begins on February 9. It was revealed that Australia are training with an ‘Ashwin doppelganger’ – Maheesh Pithiya – to prepare for the Test series. Pithiya's bowling action has a strong resemblance with India's leading off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who enjoys an excellent record against the Aussie side at home.
In eight Tests against Australia on home soil, Ashwin has taken 50 wickets that include 5 five-wicket hauls. Reacting to the news of Australia preparing specifically for Ashwin, former India opener Wasim Jaffer had come up with a savage response; he stated that Ashwin is already inside the Aussie heads as they gear up for the four-match series.
“First Test is five days away and @ashwinravi99 is already inside Aus head,” Jaffer wrote on his official Twitter account.
Reacting to the tweet from Jaffer, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh – who is widely regarded among India's leading spinners and is currently the country's fourth-highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game – came up with a cryptic response. He posted a picture of the pitch with multiple cracks and wrote, “This the main thing they have in their head.”
However, many fans on Twitter believe that Harbhajan is undermining Ashwin with the tweet, and is refusing to acknowledge that the Aussies are specifically preparing for the 36-year-old off-spinner.
The fans reacted strongly to Harbhajan's tweet. Here are some of the reactions:
Harbhajan represented India in 103 Tests, and was the first bowler from the country to take a Test hat-trick. His last appearance in the longest format came in 2015, following which he lost his place in the side due to inconsistent performances. The off-spinner eventually announced his retirement from the game in December 2021.
Ashwin, meanwhile, is currently the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests, with 449 dismissals to his name in 88 matches. Anil Kumble holds the record for most wickets for India in Test cricket (619 in 132 Tests).
