Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh was relieved to see Abhishek Sharma regaining his fitness, stating that the swashbuckling opener’s presence will help India neutralise Pakistan’s unorthodox spinner Usman Tariq in their T20 World Cup match in Himank Negi Colombo on Sunday (February 15, 2026).

Off-spinner Tariq’s outing against Indian batters at the Premadasa will be keenly watched because of the pause ahead of delivery and slinging action.

“See, he’s someone that I have seen him bowl in ILT20, where he was a pick of the bowlers. Whenever he got the opportunity to play in the semifinal and the final, he was the man-of-the-match. He is different from the other spinners and has a lot of variations,” Harbhajan told PTI.

“People are talking about him for his stand and deliver action. It’s not easy. You know, anybody can stand and bowl, but you’ve got to have different variations, which he’s got and he’s hard to hit in bigger grounds and slower pitches.

“So, all I want to say is that be a little bit mindful when you’re playing against someone whom you have never faced before. India can tackle him and not give him any big wicket. It’s good to see Abhishek coming back, who plays spin really well and dominates (spin), throughout his innings,” he added.

But what exactly is that Abhishek, who has recovered from a stomach bug that forced him to skip the match against Namibia in New Delhi, brings on to the table against spinners? “Abhishek is a quality player. He is a player who is determined to win the match on his own. I have played a lot of cricket. I know that he is a proper batsman who has all the shots.

“A lot of batsmen do not have all the shots. He (Abhishek) is not like that. He hits the first ball. And as long as he is on the crease, he keeps hitting. So, he is a proper batsman,” he noted.

Harbhajan also exhorted the teams to put behind the unsavoury build-up to Sunday’s match and concentrate on the game.

“Of course, there were a lot of hurdles before this game, whether this game will happen or not. But all that is done. Now, the focus should be on cricket, which is the main part. Of course, I’m hoping that India will play well in this game.

“Pakistan is also a very strong team, especially in these conditions with their spinners bowling really well. So, I think it’s going to be a great game to watch,” he said.

The spinner, who has 711 International wickets, also opined that people should not unnecessarily fret over formalities like handshakes at the toss or after the match.

“That is entirely the player’s wish. It is not written in any book that after a match, a handshake should be done or a hug should be given. So, play the match. Play with all your strength.

“If you feel that after that the handshake should be done or a hug should be given…it’s fine. If we talk about Australia and England players, they sit together after the match. Cricket should be seen as cricket,” he said.

The 45-year-old hoped that the Premadasa will produce a high-quality match with an equal contest between bat and ball.

“If there is a little grass on it, then the seamers will also come in handy. This field is bigger than the rest of the fields and the pitch here is usually good for the batsmen. If there is an India-Pakistan match here, the curators will also want some runs.

“And we hope that it will be such a pitch that in which the batsmen will also do well and a little help there will be for the fast bowlers and spinners. So, it is necessary to have a battle of bat and ball,” said Harbhajan.

With India being outplayed by South Africa in the just-concluded Test series, spin great Harbhajan Singh felt the hosts don’t have a specialist off-spinner for the five-day game, and called for an increased workload for Washington Sundar.

In the first home series against a SENA country since the retirement of R. Ashwin, India spinners were overshadowed by the Proteas, who claimed 25 wickets across two Tests.

“Looks like (India does not have a specialist right-arm off-spinner for Test cricket),” Harbhajan told PTI in response to a query.

Harbhajan opined that Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington has a long way to go to establish himself as a specialist right-arm off-spinner and be a like-for-like replacement for Ashwin in terms of all-round skills.

“I think Washington Sundar is there, but we will have to bowl him more. He will have to be bowled for 30-35 overs in a Test match to make a bowler out of him,” said Harbhajan on the sidelines of the launch of 8JJ Sports India.

Harbhajan, the third-highest wicket-taker among Indian spinners, felt India would have to shun the habit of dishing out rank turners for home Tests.

“The kind of pitches we have been playing on, there is no requirement of making a bowler out of anyone because every delivery spins or some straightens,” he said.

“A bowler can (only) be considered good when he takes wickets on good pitches,” Harbhajan added.

Harbhajan said it is high time for India to start preparing good pitches as the growth of Test cricketers in the country had stalled due to playing on rank turners at home.

“We should play on good cricket pitches — it is high time,” he said.

“It has been more than a decade playing on those pitches where there has not been overall growth of (Indian) cricket.

“If you look at it, we are stuck at that one place and when we play on good wickets, it becomes a case of being required to look into the mirror,” he added.

Citing the example of the England tour earlier this year, where Shubman Gill scored 754 runs and led his team to a 2-2 draw in a five-Test series, Harbhajan said Indian batters must get better wickets at home as well.

“We did well in England. When we go outside of India, our batters get the opportunity to score runs.

“(But) if you don’t give chance to your batters, then how will it be possible for them to win matches (at home)? It is high time India start playing on good tracks.”

Harbhajan felt India cannot talk about promoting Test cricket if they dish out wickets like the one in Kolkata, where the Test ended inside three days on a dry, turning pitch.

“We keep on talking about saving and promoting Test cricket, but this is not the way to save Test cricket.

“If you want to save Test cricket then we need to start playing on good tracks, which allow your bowlers and batters and everyone to be in the game,” said Harbhajan, who had used the hashtag “RIPTESTCRICKET” on social media after the Kolkata Test ended inside three days.