Team India regulars need rest after long season: comeback commentator Harsha Bhogle

Mumbai: There is perhaps one man after the late Richie Benaud, who has been internationally recognised in the world of cricket by the virtue of his voice – Harsha Bhogle.

The man who was the standout voice that Indian cricket fans instantly recognise, be it on radio (back in the early 1990s) or be it on television, has made a comeback to cricket commentary.

Bhogle, who has been out of the commentary box for around a year now, has resumed what he does best as an expert for Sony Max in their pre and post match show Extraaa Innings T20, with the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) getting underway.

However, unlike previously, Bhogle will be pitching-in with his expert analysis from the studio, rather than from the stadium.

“It's (absence from the commentary box) only been a year. But I've mostly done commentary from the ground, which I'm doing off tune. I would do English with the odd stint in Hindi,” said Bhogle.

Speaking about the difference between commentating from the ground and from the studio, Harsha said, “It's like a batsman playing on a different pitch. You take a little bit of time to adapt. For example when you are doing commentary off tune, you don't commit too early, because you're only seeing what you see on the picture. When you're on the ground, you're only seeing what's in front of you.

“If the ball goes up, for example, when you're at the ground, you know whether it's a six or a boundary. Here you have to find it out. But that's ok. It's a small adjustment to make,” he continued.

While the IPL got underway on Wednesday April 5, just a couple of weeks after the end of a 13 Test-long gruelling season for India, there have been some concerns with regards to the fitness of certain players.

To top that off, India are set to take part in the ICC Champions Trophy, just a little over a week after the end of the IPL. The likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Lokesh Rahul, and Murali Vijay have already been ruled out of the T20 tournament, while, captain Virat Kohli has had to sit-out in the first few matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Also, the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav have been rested after a long and arduous season.

“It is bound to happen, especially for the bowlers. Look at the number of overs that Ashwin has bowled,” said Bhogle. “I think in Ashwin’s case, he has an injury. Jadeja will come back, Yadav will come back. Sometimes when your body is tired, you just need a bit of rest.”

However, Bhogle believes that the absence of someone like Ashwin may not go on to hurt as much in the shortest format of the game.

“In a T20 game, missing a player is not the same as missing a player in a Test match,” he said. “Losing Ashwin in a Test match is a big loss, but here it's just four overs.”