'Divide and rule': Harbhajan Singh on Greg Chappell's coaching stint
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has opened up on the tumultuous phase under Greg Chappell's coaching. He called it "the darkest days of Indian cricket." Harbhajan alleged that Chappell used a "divide and rule" strategy within the team, leading to India's shock exit from the 2007 ODI World Cup. The former spinner also criticized the decision to appoint Chappell as head coach in June 2005.
Team discord
'One of the darkest and worst chapters in Indian cricket'
Speaking on Prakhar Gupta's podcast, Harbhajan slammed Chappell for his behavior toward the then skipper Sourav Ganguly and the Indian team as a whole.
He said, "It was one of the darkest and worst chapters in the history of Indian cricket."
The former spinner also claimed that Chappell's tactics ruined team chemistry, with players who once shared a strong bond during the 2003 ODI World Cup no longer speaking to each other.
Strategic divide
Chappell's tactics to weaken India?
Harbhajan also hinted that Chappell may have deliberately divided the dressing room to weaken the Indian side.
He said, "In those days, India were the only team that consistently challenged Australia."
The former spinner speculated this could have been a tactic by Chappell to break their unity on-field and make them lose matches.
This theory was further supported by India's dismal performance at the 2007 World Cup after reaching the final in 2003.
Tenure
The controversial Chappell stint
Greg Chappell's tenure as India's head coach from 2005 to 2007 was embroiled in controversies.
His differences with Ganguly became public, as the former skipper was eventually dropped from the team.
While Chappell's coaching methods and team selections also faced criticism from several quarters, India's early exit from the 2007 ODI World Cup added to that.
Chappell stepped down soon after, ending one of Indian cricket's most controversial coaching stints.