The Harbhajan-Rayudu spat: It's never pleasant to see an argument overshadow a victory

The Pune vs Mumbai IPL match had a lot of talking points, perhaps none more so than the ugly altercation between Ambati Rayudu and Harbhajan Singh on the field. While Mumbai Indians ultimately cantered to a win on the back of Rohit Sharma's brilliant 85, the unusual in-team fight left a bit of a sour taste in everyone's mouth.

To be perfectly frank, it's not unusual for a bowler to behave the way that Harbhajan did after Rayudu misfielded. It's actually quite common for bowlers to get aggravated when they see their good work being undone by a lapse in the field, and this wasn't the first time that Harbhajan had lost his temper at his teammate.

At least with an aggressive player like Harbhajan, that kind of reaction can be expected. I remember during my playing days, even a level-headed bowler like Anil Kumble had no tolerance for any mistake in the field. Both Yuvraj and I used to find it very tough to keep the legendary spinner happy. The perfectionist that Kumble is, he would expect flawless play from everyone in the field, and he never had any patience for sloppy work.

That's not to say that us fielders didn't give our 100%. We definitely tried our best, and I'm sure that even Rayudu was fully committed to stopping the ball during the incident. It's just that bowlers are under a lot of pressure to take wickets and save runs, and when their efforts go in vain through no fault of theirs, they tend to lose their calm.

Which is why I was very surprised to see the way Rayudu reacted to Harbhajan's reprimand. Yes, Harbhajan did seem to have mouthed a few abusive words and no one wants to be at the receiving end of a tirade like that. But seeing Rayudu continue looking aggrieved despite Harbhajan's conciliatory gestures was a bit baffling for me to be honest.

Harbhajan may have been out of line, but Rayudu's reaction only worsened the situation. As cricketers we are always taught to resolve intra-team differences through patience and understanding – both of which were completely absent in the unfortunate argument.

Cricketers are role models for a lot of people, and every act they commit is seen and scrutinized by millions of people. On national television, with so many eyes on you, letting your temper loose doesn't bode well for you by any standard.

At some level, I can understand Rayudu's frustration. He's been in and out of both the Mumbai Indians team and the national team for years, and his place has never been secure. Now that he has managed to find a permanent spot in the team, he tries to give his everything whenever he takes the field. And for a bowler to then question his game awareness the way Harbhajan did, is bound to cause plenty of frustration.

But that still doesn't condone any of the unseemly gestures that he made on Sunday. A cricket team is like a family, and family members don't behave the way that Harbhajan and Rayudu did. Their squabble took the focus away from their captain's fine innings, which has got to be disappointing for everyone involved.

This article was also published on Mohammad Kaif's blog here.