New Delhi: Throw him a dare and he will latch onto it! That's Harbhajan Singh - the wily Indian off-spinner who spits nothing but fire when on song. But looking at his two uninspiring outings so far in the World Cup, the flame seems to be dousing.
A red-hot Harbhajan provides the spark when the team needs it the most, with his pranks in the dressing room even splitting a reserved Yusuf Pathan into half. But like his doosra, Harbhajan too is dwindling into an oblivion that Team India can ill-afford.
The player - who is a skipper's delight - is slowly slipping into a hole, relying on his batting to help him climb back up and say, "I'm still there." And that's the most worrying sign for the fans who want to see Bhajji off-spinning and limit batting to just a handy slog.
If body language is an indicator, Harbhajan certainly is not emitting the signals Dhoni expects from his premier spin option. But 'one big wicket and you have the real Bhajji back' is a lure that will keep the Indian skipper from looking for R Ashwin over his shoulder.
Dhoni has to be very hard pressed to do that. Unless Bhajji breaks down or the skipper wants to risk the luxury of playing two offies, Ashwin's World Cup debut will stay on the shelf.
With his team giving away runs at a canter, Bhajji has to wake up from his slumber and lend Zaheer a hand in holding the Indian flag. Without that happening, placing a bet on India winning the World Cup looks too big a call to take at this stage.
What Harbhajan needs is a spark, and India's campaign will light up!
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