It was in Adelaide, a fortnight back, that the stigma of racial abuse -- affixed by Andrew Symonds and endorsed by Mike Procter -- was lifted off Harbhajan Singh's weighed down shoulders by Justice John Hansen.

Irrespective of how the off-spinner goes during the last three weeks of what has been a tempestuous tour, Harbhajan's first full visit of Australia will be remembered more for matters non-cricketing.

Saying that, the 27-year-old from Jalandhar should be the first to admit that his bowling in the Test series wasn't up to scratch. Ricky Ponting's sight fired him up no end; that apart, Harbhajan's best moments came with the bat.
Twice, in Sydney and Adelaide, he made important contributions of 63 each; contrast that with just eight wickets from 154 overs at 61.25 apiece in three Test matches, and a picture begins to emerge of how skipper Anil Kumble had to make do with no more than token support from his spinning mate.

With the coloured clothing replacing flannels, Harbhajan has gradually slipped into his elements. Some of his best efforts in recent times have come in the limited-overs game. In a continuation of that trend, the Turbanator has relished the challenge of containing batsmen in his two bowls in the tri-series.

Against Australia at the MCG last Sunday, he finished with figures of one for 19 from eight outstanding overs. Admittedly, Australia were in the doldrums at 82 for five when Harbhajan was summoned in the 22nd over. That most definitely helped, because Harbhajan could straightaway drop into a rhythm without having to worry about batsmen going after him. What stood out during that spell was the ease with which he graduated from a run-container to a bowler on the attack, unafraid to dare batsmen with flight, always seeking to lure them to their doom.

Bhajji delivers

Two days later, at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, the situation demanded a different tack from Harbhajan, and he again delivered with aplomb. Sri Lanka's target was 154 from 21 and Sanath Jayasuriya had got them off to the proverbial flyer. 95 had been racked in 12 when the offie arrived. With his first delivery, he forced Kumar Sangakkara to hole out to mid-on. From then, he gave Sri Lanka's attack-minded batsmen nothing to clobber, going through his four allocated overs without conceding a boundary and yielding just 15 runs. That no other bowler from either side went for less than five and a half an over puts Harbhajan's effort in perspective; it also raises an interesting question.

Is Harbhajan more at home in the one-day game than in Test cricket? Hopefully not, because his Test record is a very good one as well. In 63 Tests, Harbhajan has 256 wickets at just over 31, including 20 five-wicket hauls. The high point was those 32 wickets in three Tests against the Aussies at home in 2001, a millstone that will hang around his neck forever. It is impossible for any human being to repeatedly live up to those standards. Even so, Harbhajan's recent Test record has been a bit of a let down.

Modest run

Since March 2005, 20 Tests have yielded just 67 wickets at 41.25, no patch on his overall Test record. In the corresponding period, he has taken 64 one-day wickets in 69 matches at 39.78, below career stats of 183 sticks from 165 games at 33.28, but not as glaring as the discrepancy in Test figures.

Sometime in the next 12 months, give or take a month or three, Harbhajan will be required to spearhead the Indian spin attack once Kumble calls time on what has been a most illustrious career. So much has the Indian Test captain spoilt his countrymen, and indeed his team-mates, that he is almost taken for granted. Those that do not entirely appreciate the leggie's gargantuan presence in Indian cricket will perhaps wait until Kumble retires to fully comprehend his status as India's greatest match-winner ever. Harbhajan, himself a decade-old in international cricket and having had the opportunity to pick Kumble's brains -- apart from getting an inside view of what goes into making the Bangalorean the champion he is -- must be ready then to slip into his skipper's giant shoes.

There is no denying the character and mental toughness of one of India's more colourful cricketers. Harbhajan has seen the worst of times, and come away stronger. His biggest test as a Test cricketer is not far away; how will his competitive instincts stack up then?