The Great Game Called Cricket...

Kolkata: "If I don't do well you will show me as one of '3 Idiots'. It is a shame and it should not be done" is how Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh lambasted the media for criticising him.

Fumed at the criticism for his recent poor performance, Harbhajan Singh, who helped India win the second Test against South Africa with a five wicket haul, said it was a fitting reminder to the media who have portrayed him as one of the '3 idiots', that he is still a match winner.

"I have been hearing a lot of things from the media but today they were on the receiving end. They (media) should be getting that kind of treatment because they should know what to play on national television and what not to play," said India’s spin spearhead.

Asked about his celebration in front of the press enclosure after clinching the last wicket, the feisty off-spinner said he was angry at the media for picking him whenever he had a lean phase.

"Thanks to all the media, they create sensations that Bhajji is not bowling, that Bhajji is doing this, doing that. We play for our country with a lot of passion and it disappoints all the players sometimes to see what characters they make out of us," Harbhajan said.

But if that is the way you want to sell your programmes we are not worried about that. I was there for a bigger purpose, I was playing for my country which was more than anything for me. I won a game for my country and that is a special feeling and I am sure the whole country is happy today," said Harbhajan who finished with five for 59 to give India a dramatic win.

He was also angry that a section of the media said that India's Test number one status was a fluke.

"There has been a lot of talk about us that it was a fluke to be the number one side and all that. It was not a fluke at all, we have worked really hard to reach the top and today we have showed the world that we deserve to be number one," he said.

Harbhajan was though all praise for the South Africans for putting up a tough fight in the series.

"To be honest, South Africa are really a good side and they played fantastic cricket in Nagpur. We played better cricket here and we set our fields, bowled according to the fields and we created pressure.

"We batted well, (VVS) Laxman was special, (MS) Dhoni was brilliant, Sachin (Tendulkar) was amazing and so was Viru (Virender Sehwag). I think overall we played terrific cricket and we are very happy," said the off-spinner.