“You have testicles on your head, was an insult towards my religion" - Harbhajan Singh opens up about 'Monkeygate'

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has recollected 'Monkeygate' on Boria Majumdar's show.

The incident involving Harbhajan and Andrew Symonds took place during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in 2008 in Sydney and the controversy almost led to the tour being called off.

It was later revealed that Harbhajan, who was charged with racial abuse, had retaliated with ‘Teri maa ki’ in Hindi which was misunderstood as monkey by the Australians.

Speaking on 'Backstage with Boria', Harbhajan said:

“Obviously I was disturbed, I couldn’t understand why it was happening. Why was there so much of... for something that hadn’t happened. They had six or seven witnesses for something that I had not spoken. No one had heard it and yet it was blown out of proportion.”

The abuse hurled at the off-spinner was forgotten amidst the controversy.

“The things that were said to me (while being) on the ground, ‘you have testicles on your head’, to hear such an insult towards my religion was the most difficult thing for me. I didn’t open my mouth then because if I did so, it would have resulted in more controversies.”

Sachin Tendulkar, in his autobiography 'Playing It My Way', narrated the incident:

“I want to state very clearly that the incident arose because Andrew Symonds had been continually trying to provoke Bhajji and it was inevitable that the two would have an altercation at some point. While walking up to Bhajji to try to calm things down, I heard him say 'Teri maa ki' (Your mother...) to Symonds. It is an expression we often use in north India to vent our anger and to me it was all part of the game.”

"I didn’t want to stress others with what I was going through" - Harbhajan Singh

Originally banned for three Tests, Harbhajan's punishment was reduced to a 50 % match-fee fine. Bhajji, who had to sit out the third Test, said:

“Only I know how I spent time alone in my room during that difficult period. I didn’t try to talk much with the players or management. They were anyways backing me throughout the incident. I didn’t want to stress others with what I was going through. I had to deal with it in whatever way I could, and I am glad that I could and still go out there and play and win a few games for India in Australia.”