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Harbhajan in Garner, Lee league
He joins the two bowlers who had also taken two five-wicket hauls against England, writes Rajneesh Gupta.
Harbhajan played a significant part in India’s remarkable win over England in the opening encounter of seven-match series.
Top scoring with 37 and taking India to a somewhat respectable total earlier in the day, Harbhajan just ran through England’s batting line-up returning the career-best figures of 5 for 31.
He, in the process, became the first Indian and only the third bowler to claim five wickets on two separate occasions against England.
Harbhajan had earlier taken 5 for 43 at Mumbai when English team has visited India last time in 2002. Harbhajan now joins West Indian Joel Garner and Australia's Brett Lee who had also taken five wickets on two occasions against England.
Harbhajan's figures are also the best by an Indian spinner and second best among all Indian bowlers (after Ashish Nehra's 6 for 23 in 2003 World Cup game). His performance, in fact, is the third best by any spinner against England. The details:
With his five-wicket haul Harbhajan took his wicket tally to 52 in 43 games at home soil, which is the third highest for an Indian after Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar, though had taken some of wickets with his gentle medium also. So in real sense, Harbhajan is now the second highest wicket taker among spinners on Indian soil.
Here-under is a list of leading spinners on Indian soil:
