Virat, Ravi bhai made me feel wanted: Harbhajan

Back into the national fold after a two-year hiatus, Harbhajan Singh immensely appreciates how Test captain Virat Kohli and Team Director Ravi Shastri made him feel “wanted” in the team.

Harbhajan was first recalled for the one off Test against Bangladesh last month before he made a limited overs return with the tour of Zimbabwe.

Recalling the changed dressing room atmosphere when he made his international return in Bangladesh, the veteran spinner said kohli and Shastri made him feel comfortable.

“When I walked into the dressing room and looked around, there were all new faces. It felt good to know that with so many new guys in the team, I was still around,” said Harbhajan.

“We had a briefing in the dressing room where Virat addressed the team and mentioned me. He said, ‘We are looking for you to come and help us get those 20 wickets. We want you to be a part of us for this season and help us win Test matches because that is our goal – to win every Test match we play. We want you to help the other bowlers get into the frame of mind of picking wickets with your experience and skills’.

“Ravi (Shastri) bhai too was full of words and that gave me a lot of confidence. It made me feel wanted. After that it was all back to normal, like it was two years back,” he was quoted as saying by BCCI.TV.

He is satisfied with how he is bowling and doesn’t think much about his place in the national side.

“Stay fit and live every day to the fullest. Don’t think too far, enjoy and be thankful for what you have today. I don’t know what is going to happen five years down the line. I am over that sort of mindset. I want to appreciate what I have right now,” said Harbhajan when asked about his next goal.

He is also hoping to win matches for India in the upcoming season, both away and at home.