NEW DELHI: Indian spin legend Harbhajan Singh has shared how his once-bitter feud with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds developed right into a deep friendship, highlighting how one in every of cricket’s most notorious scandals ended on a optimistic notice.
The 2007-08 Take a look at sequence between India and Australia was marred by the “Monkeygate” controversy, the place Symonds accused Harbhajan of racially abusing him in the course of the Sydney Take a look at. The allegation led to Harbhajan being handed a three-match ban, later diminished after appeals. The saga almost derailed India’s tour of Australia, with tensions flaring on and off the sphere.
Regardless of the acrimony, the pair ultimately reconciled after being teammates for the Mumbai Indians within the Indian Premier League (IPL). Harbhajan recounted how their friendship started when Symonds visited his dwelling in Chandigarh with a bottle of Bundaberg Rum, a gesture that broke the ice between the 2 rivals.
“We sat collectively for an extended, very long time and talked about it. On the finish of the dialog, we had an extended hug,” Harbhajan stated in an interview with Code Sports activities. “The image of the hug turned very well-known in our discussion groups. A really ugly spat turned an amazing friendship.”
Reflecting on the incident, Harbhajan admitted the controversy ought to by no means have escalated to the extent it did. “That Sydney factor ought to by no means have exploded prefer it did. We did kind out every little thing. We left the controversy behind and went on to win the IPL championship collectively,” he stated.
Harbhajan additionally expressed profound grief over Symonds’ premature demise in a automotive crash in Might 2022 on the age of 46.
“After I heard the information of his accident, I simply hoped it was false. I could not imagine it,” Harbhajan stated. “I used to be shattered. After I was in Brisbane final week, I assumed if he had been nonetheless alive, I would have gone to his place that evening, and we might have gone out. That is the bond we shared.”
The 2 cricketers’ journey from animosity to camaraderie serves as a testomony to the transformative energy of sports activities and mutual respect. Harbhajan concluded by emphasizing the enduring affect of Symonds on his life, saying, “Andrew is missed day by day.”
