Happy Birthday, dear old Bhajji!

But as the adage goes, good things don’t last forever. Complacency crept in and his ego failed to recognize a potential competitor of his spot in Ravichandran Ashwin. Following his poor form, Harbhajan was ousted from the team in early 2011. A fighter to the core of his heart, Harbhajan never gave up and continued to flare up optimism with media statements. As an artist who preferred to engross him in serious pride of his craft, Harbhajan refused to believe his fate and remained hopeful of a comeback, the genuine odds of which flickered away with each and every successful feat of Ashwin.

Not ready to accept defeat, Harbhajan kept his hopes alive albeit conceding to frustration unknowingly. Self-doubt induced by constant criticism demolished the poise of the “confidence bowler” who, doomed by the fear of failure, became desperate to resurrect his lost touch.

By the time he was recalled for the Test series against Australia, most of his self-belief had marooned Harbhajan in an anxious realm of insecurity and he turned out to be merely a shadow of his former self plummeting into fresh depths with his hapless bowling.

“Especially for someone coming back into the Test team after a long time, he will be low on confidence, he will be a little insecure, and that’s when as a captain you are supposed to encourage your bowler.”

Limited backing from Dhoni and the selectors didn’t help his case as Harbhajan failed to let loose the magic he once cherished for his favorite adversaries. As the selectors axed the senior players in an attempt to expose the team for the future, Harbhajan found himself out of the squad once again, this time perhaps, forever.

The rash shots that had been a characteristic feature of his hostile batting were in perfect sync to the man Bhajji was – extrovert and exuberantly emotional. His antics on the field, pranks inside the dressing room and emotional enthusiasm made him an adorable teammate.

Indian fans will never forget his jubilant embrace of familiar foe Ricky Ponting during a Mumbai Indians match in the Indian Premier League. Such was his popularity in the Indian dressing room that most of his teammates stood firmly behind him, albeit criticizing his incense, during the Monkey-gate and Slap-gate sagas.

For a cricket aficionado, the flailing of the arms during the run-up, the thumping of fists, the powerhouse roars and the animated celebrations – all that came as a package with the indomitable Sikh will be sorely missed. The flamboyance and charisma that once described Harbhajan can never be replicated by any Indian spinner in future. He belonged to a class of his own – the radiant star which peaked in its youth only to fade away immaturely, leaving behind yearnings and nostalgia.

A very happy birthday, dear old Bhajji! We understand it isn’t all rosy for you from here on. Still, wishing you good luck, we hope you’ll take comfort from what is done in the best interests of the nation you have served selflessly for so long.