Usman Tariq has a lot of variations & he is hard to hit on slower pitches: Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian cricketer and analyst Harbhajan Singh has insisted that the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, should be wary of the threat the Pakistan off-spinner Usman Tariq poses in the India vs Pakistan marquee clash on Sunday, in Colombo.

Speaking exclusively to PTI, Bhajji made it clear that he had closely watched Tariq doing well in the recently concluded ILT20 season in the United Arab Emirates. Furthermore, he added that Tariq has a lot of variations in his kitty, and he is tough to hit on bigger grounds and slower pitches.

“See, he's (Usman Tariq) 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,” he added.

Furthermore, the former spinner is relieved to have Abhishek Sharma back in the playing XI after missing out on the game against Namibia due to a stomach infection, adding that he is one batter who can play spinners well and dominate them.

“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 asserted.

“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.

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