South African spinner Simon Harmer took a subtle dig at critics after taking 8 wickets with the ball to lead South Africa to a 30-run win at Eden Gardens. He has also praised his entire team for the spectacular victory.
Simon Harmer has taken 60 wickets for South Africa at an average of 23.38 and has seven four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
Simon Harmer reflects on the confidence shown by Temba Bavuma and the Proteas
Simon Harmer took a dig at the critics after the win against India at Eden Gardens. The Proteas won the game by defending a small target of 124 and Simon Harmer was awarded the Player of the Match award.
He also highlighted the fact that the Indian media had almost declared them a losing team and declared the game over at the end of the second day. He praised Bavuma and the entire team for their confidence and joint effort.
“It was a foregone conclusion. The Indian media said the game was done and dusted. On that wicket, we just needed a partnership and I think the way Temba batted, his pace, he had a very solid and definite game plan.”
“There was definitely belief. We were thinking we could have got to 150 there. And then we went out and Marco took those two wickets and with Shubman not playing they were effectively three for none. We thought we had a real chance. Everyone contributed. It’s a cliché but it was a proper team effort,” he said on ‘talkSportCricket’.
Simon Harmer played a big role in South Africa’s victory
Simon Harmer played a big role in their victory, as he took 8 wickets for the Proteas. He took four wickets in both innings of the game, as the off-spinner was exceptionally economical with spells of 4/30 and 4/21 in both innings.
He claimed that at the end of the second day the team had confidence and won. Since many of his players have been on the wrong side of results in the past, he said this win was very important from a broader perspective.
Simon Harmer said, “The conversation at the end of the second day was a chip and a chair. If you’ve got a chip and a chair on the table, you’ve got a chance. To make it manifest, and to bring it into reality the next day, to sit comfortably, I think there are some boys in the dressing room who have often been on the other side of the result, especially in India.”
Simon Harmer said, “So they were extremely excited and pumped up. When Axar was hitting sixes in the stadium the noise was deafening. So yes, you’re hoping things will go your way and they will.”
Harmer credits Indian coach for changing the direction of his career in 2016
After his stellar performance, Simon Harmer revealed that he visited India in 2016 when he trained with coach Umesh Patwal in Mumbai. Harmer described how Patwal helped him develop as an international bowler along with the skills he developed as a spinner.
He said, “I think the turning point of my career was the trip to Mumbai in 2016. I got a chance to work with Umesh Patwal and basically, everything I thought I knew about spin bowling was laughed at. It was the most frustrating two weeks of my life. Things I thought were important were thrown out the window. The evolution from there, it’s a constant learning process.”
“As an off-spinner, small subtle changes make the difference. I love competing with the batsmen and there is no better place for that than the subcontinent and the pinnacle of that is India as they have some of the best players of spin in the world,” he said.
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