"They bowled too full" - Harbhajan Singh on Indian spinners' failure to replicate their Australian counterparts

Harbhajan Singh has attributed the Indian spinners' failure to replicate their Australian counterparts' success on the first day of the third Test to their tendency to bowl too full.

Rohit Sharma and Co. were bowled out for 109 after opting to bat first in Indore on Wednesday, March 1, with nine wickets falling to spin. The Indian spinners did not enjoy similar success as the visitors ended the day at 156/4, with a lead of 47 runs and six first-innings wickets in hand.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh was asked about his thoughts on the limited success enjoyed by the Indian spinners, to which he responded:

"The spinners didn't find their length at the start. They bowled too full and the batting becomes easy in such a case because the ball does not spin that much. When the ball is extremely close to the bat or pad, it doesn't get a chance either to bounce or spin."

Harbhajan reckons the hosts' spinners bowled too full in anticipation of the sweep shot, elaborating:

"As a spinner, you shouldn't anticipate that they will play the sweep and so you should bowl full. Until they do that (play the sweep), you have to bowl at the good length. The good-length spot remains a good-length spot whether you are playing in Australia or India. Khawaja also got set because of that."

Ravindra Jadeja (4/63) was the only successful Indian bowler on Wednesday. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel failed to pick up a wicket in the 25 overs they bowled between them.

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"The reason for that was that he pulled his length back" - Harbhajan Singh on Ravindra Jadeja's success after Tea

Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets in the post-Tea session. [P/C: BCCI]

Harbhajan highlighted how shortening his length helped Jadeja to be amongst the wickets in the final session of the day, observing:

As soon as Ravindra Jadeja pulled his length back after Tea, his bowling style changed completely. He got three wickets later, the reason for that was that he pulled his length back."

The cricketer-turned-politician concluded by opining that India would have been in a much better position at the close of play had their spinners bowled the right line and length, stating:

"You need to bowl a fuller length when there is absolutely no pace. This wicket has the pace. If you bowl the right line and length on this pitch, which is the good length - where the Indian spinners bowled less, instead of four, seven would have been out today."

The Indian spinners' lack of consistency in length allowed Australia to reach a comfortable score of 108/1 at one stage. Jadeja then dismissed Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith for the addition of 38 runs to give the hosts some hope of staging a comeback in the game.