Indian bowlers approach and effort commendable, says Harbhajan Singh

A fantastic effort from the Indian bowlers helped set up a crucial win for India in their make or break Champions Trophy encounter against South Africa. Following the win, former cricketers and experts have applauded the Indian players on sealing their spot in the semi-finals of the tournament.

And now, Harbhajan Singh is the latest one to applaud the team's efforts. In his column for the ICC’s official website, Harbhajan wrote, "It was a fantastic bowling effort from India. The pacers did a great job by bowling dot balls in the first 10 overs. It was the perfect example of how not to give away cheap runs. It surely must have made South Africa go on the back foot. That effort went a long way in helping India dominate South Africa".

Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped India skittled out the Proteas for a paltry score of 191 with some impeccable bowling. They both got 2 wickets each and Harbhajan also praised the duo saying, "It was always going to be an easy chase for India, considering it had dismissed a world-class team for a paltry total of 191 runs. This was a very commendable feat and special credit must go to the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, who was just fantastic. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the spinners also chipped in when it mattered".

Before this tournament, India had some worries about their batsmen, especially the likes of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan opening the innings, However, the consistency the pair have shown at the top of the order has impressed one and all and the Turbanator is no exception. 

"Shikhar Dhawan just keeps getting better with every outing in this tournament. You can expect the likes of Virat Kohli to come and keep things steady right till the end, especially when the team is chasing."

Having played together in the recently concluded IPL 2017 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers led India and South Africa respectively on Sunday. And Harbhajan was quick to compare and contrast their respective leadership styles saying "...you can tell how apart they are right from the manner in which they approach games. Kohli's intent has always been so positive. It shows when he steps on to the field. On the other hand, you just don't see that from de Villiers. This is where Kohli beats him."

It’s not new for South Africa to choke in crucial matches. And the 36-year-old off- spinner felt that the Proteas' nerves got the better of them on the big day. "Its (South Africa's) approach and intent wasn't positive and that essentially played a very crucial role in the way it lost. It needed to rise to the occasion and it just didn't do that. At the international level, the margin for error is always minimal, and South Africa did not play the big moments well. Not only did its batting unit suffer a collective failure, but it also made silly mistakes, thereby, allowing India to control the game."

Finally, having been in a position of promise at one stage of their innings, South Africa suffered a major batting collapse which allowed India back into the game. And like most others, Harbhajan too is clueless about the reason for their downfall, particularly given that they were the top-ranked ODI side coming into the tournament. 

"You don't see three run-outs in an innings that often. Dismissing de Villiers and David Miller with their brilliant fielding, Team India enjoyed a huge boost in confidence. "I did not expect South Africa, the world's top-ranked ODI side team, to choke yet again. I thought it had shed the choker's tag, but I was clearly wrong. I just don't understand why it falls short of expectations at the global tournaments year after year," Harbhajan stated.