Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee recently shared his experiences of ‘sledging’ with former India spinner Harbhajan Singh. Lee admitted to finding it tough to bowl to Harbhajan, who often got under his skin with his antics.
“Harbhajan Singh. I hated bowling to him because he used to annoy the hell out of me, and I’ve told him this. He is an absolute legend of a bloke; I hope he hears this because – and he knows – he used to frustrate the sh** out of me when I bowled to him. He would sledge and he would hop in and going after me ‘You’re quick’. I could never get him; I was always exhausted,” Lee confessed on the LiSTNR Sport podcast.
Lee explained that Harbhajan’s constant chatter and calculated demeanour were tactics to gain a psychological advantage.
“When he came in to bat, it was at the wrong end of a spell. When I said ‘Mate, you’re a bloody ripping bloke. Why don’t you show me how good you are or now nice you are? He goes ‘because I like that edge. I want to come across as if I am arrogant, or a person who is chirping in. So he was giving it back to us what we gave to them. Lovely guy.”
According to Lee, such verbal exchanges were common between both sides during matches. He also acknowledged Harbhajan’s friendly nature off the field.
Lee further reflected on India’s famous 2001 Test series victory against a dominant Australian side. He believes that series marked a turning point for Indian cricket, instilling confidence and a newfound aggression in their approach to the game.
“It started in that game when Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman batted the whole day. I was injured at home, watching it with my arm in a sling. It was them saying ‘We can match Australia. Not just match; we can beat them’. And now with Kohli, I love the way Kohli plays. He is such a good player… with that aggression. And you’ve got different guys like back in the day, MS Dhoni… didn’t say anything. Just did what he had to do and wouldn’t back down,” added Lee.
