No room to experiment in Twenty20 - Harbhajan

Harbhajan Singh believes that the advent of the Twenty20 format has made Test cricket more result oriented. "I feel Twenty20 has ensured there are a lot of results in Test matches. Batsmen are now playing shots. There was a time in the 1960s and 70s when 10 Test matches were played, but how many results did you see? Tests have become faster now," Harbhajan told Indian Express.

The offspinner acknowledged the difficulty in switching from one format to another. "It's very tough to move from Twenty20 to Test cricket. Twenty20 isn't about bowling skills," Harbhajan said. "In Test matches one gets wickets only after bowling well, and you have time to plan. One gets wickets only by bowling good balls. In Twenty20, you bowl here, there, the odd faster one. there's nothing in this game. It takes time to return to Test match mode after playing Twenty20."

Harbhajan revealed that keeping things simple was crucial to succeed in the shortest format. "You can try [experimenting] but all depends on the situation. If your opponent is going for lot of runs then it's better to stick to your basics than try something. Experiments could cost you as well so sticking to basics is the key," Harbhajan said.

Unlike most spinners, Harbhajan often resorts to the yorker, normally a fast-bowler's weapon, to keep the runs down. "Yes, it is the main ball because for bowlers, though there is less margin for error. At least when I bowl such balls, I know there is a chance of getting a dot ball or a wicket. But there's more of a risk as it could end up as a full toss. We just pray that everything goes right," he said.

While bowling has remained his strongest suit, Harbhajan's batting has come along in leaps and bounds, and was in full flow in the match against Deccan Chargers on Sunday, when he smashed 49 off 18 balls. Harbhajan revealed that he was not surprised by how well he batted. "It was one of those days when I was connecting everything. Even for India, I've played a few knocks when I've middled the ball really well. I remember one game in Baroda against the Australians where I scored 49. Maybe I need to offer some special prayers to score my first fifty," he said

Being the senior spinner in the India side, Harbhajan realizes that he needs to step into the mentoring role that Anil Kumble used to perform when Harbhajan himself was finding his feet in the international game. "There are a lot of expectations now. One thing I'm convinced about is that had Anil-bhai not guided me I wouldn't have got 350-plus wickets. I have to play that role now. There are young spinners in the pool and have done well, so there is hope," Harbhajan said.