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Harbhajan Singh has said it is "important to understand your body and manage it accordingly" in order to survive the rigours of the bloated schedule India's cricketers are being subjected to.
"A lot of hard work has been put in outside the field, and I am glad that it is paying off when the country needs me the most," Harbhajan told the Indian Express ahead of the West Indies tour, where he will be vice-captain of the one-day side in the absence of all the other senior players who are either resting or recovering from injuries. "You need to build your stamina to remain fit and be raring to go, and that happens only with proper planning. During non-match days I make sure that I sleep well - it is the most important nourishment to your body. I don't try and push my body too much. The key is to just keep things simple."
For the one-day leg, Harbhajan will be the deputy to Suresh Raina who appeared on the scene much after Harbhajan established his place in the Indian side. Harbhajan said that he was not too bothered about not being named the captain of the depleted outfit. "Not everybody gets to be raja [king], some have to be mantri [minister]," he said. "It's a great honour to play for India. Of course, the dream to captain the side is alive, and I hope that it happens someday. But until then, I just want to do the best I can for the team. It is an honour to just be a part of this side.
"It [my role as vice-captain] is simple, I have to make sure the dressing room environment remains fresh and energetic. The main thing is to make the youngsters feel very comfortable in the dressing room. There should be positive vibes all around, and the most important thing is to try and maintain our winning momentum from the World Cup."
Harbhajan had a reasonably successful IPL, finishing with 14 dismissals in 15 games at an economy-rate of 6.98. He believed switching from the Twenty20 format to one-dayers at short notice would not be a problem for him. "They are diametrically opposite versions, but being a professional, I'm ready for it. In Twenty20s, every second guy can roll his arm over - you don't need skill or great variation. However, in the 50-over format, a spinner can really achieve something substantial. The switch is quite drastic.
"The IPL was alright, it still is quite an unpredictable format for everyone concerned, but especially the bowlers. As a spinner, all I can do is to pray that the four overs go well. If I get lucky, then I end up with a couple of wickets, otherwise the only constant is to get hit for runs all over the park. You can't really judge a player based on his Twenty20 performances."
Harbhajan will share the spin burden with R Ashwin and Amit Mishra in the West Indies one-dayers, both of whom courted more success than him in the IPL. Harbhajan said there were plenty of options in the team and did not want to comment on the combination. He hoped that the youngsters would make use of the chance to shine in the absence of the regulars.
"It is a relatively young side, and this tour should be looked at as an opportunity for them to grab," Harbhajan said. "They have earned their team call-ups the hard way, and after knocking on the door for so long, they have an entire series to really stake their claim. Nevertheless, it will be a challenge."
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
