Steve Waugh: We didn't expect Harbhajan to take 32 wickets

The way Steve Waugh addressed the press at the MA Chidambaram Stadium after losing the series was testimony to the character and temperament of the Australian captain. Having no illusions about the way things transpired, Waugh was gracious in defeat, magnanimous in praise and patient with questions.

Talking about the turning point in the series, the Aussie skipper singled out Laxman's innings at Kolkata for praise. "Laxman's innings made a huge difference. Not only did he save the Test match for them but he also showed the way for some of their other batsmen. He showed them that you could succeed at this level if you have belief in your ability. It freed up a lot of the others. Dravid, for one, batted with much more fluency after that." The innings of 281 Laxman played at Kolkata, and the manner in which he made runs truly changed the way the Indians approached the game.

But it was not Laxman all the way. Although he put the runs on the board and gave India a fine chance, nothing would have been possible without the magic of Harbhajan Singh. Before the Aussies came to India, the home side's biggest concern was the bowling. With Anil Kumble injured, who was going to bowl out the Australians? Harbhajan Singh rose to the occasion by taking 32 wickets. "He bowled beautifully. Good line, kept it on a length and he was able to get more bounce than our spinners because he has a different type of action. We knew he would play a role but we certainly didn't expect him to have such an impact and finish with 32 wickets."

The clash between India and Australia was sufficiently hyped up before it began. Labeled the 'last frontier' by many, the series became a talking point with cricket pundits. For Steve Waugh and the Australians too it was clear that victory in India meant a great deal. However, on losing, Steve Waugh was keen not to be dragged down too much. "I've always left it to you guys to judge us as a team. The scoreline of 2-1 may not look too great but we've played some great cricket in this series. It's been a great three Test matches. And if you look at it, we were in a position to win all three Tests. That might not have happened but we got closer than most Australian sides touring India have ever done."

That is the plain truth. Even in loss, the Aussies suffered no humiliation, no dishonour.