Sydney, Australia: February 27, 2008 - IR Summary - The new version of Harbhajan Singh gives an impression that the Australia is no longer an undisputed champion in Cricket. He pointed out that Matthew Hayden's stinging verbal attack at Ishant Sharma shows how much their team seems to be frustrated that India was the only team giving them a run for their money.

"Maybe, they realise that they no longer are the undisputed champions of the world. Maybe, they feel the crown is slipping. Otherwise, why a cricket veteran would ask a 19-year-old (Ishant Sharma) to join him in a ring?," he said in reaction to the latest provocation by Hayden.

Hayden called Harbhajan an "obnoxious little weed" and invited Ishant Sharma "into a ring" to sort out issues in an interview to 'Brisbane Radio' on Tuesday.

He also had a frontal attack on Harbhajan saying, that "his record speaks for itself in cricket... that's why he has been charged more than anyone else who's ever played in the history of cricket..."

Harbhajan, who seemed to have read the personal attack by Hayden in entirety, said he preferred to keep himself in control instead of enjoining the matter with the belligerent Aussie opener.

"I don't want it to be a slanging match," Harbhajan said adding that he didn't want to open a pandora's box for a lot that the Australians have said this summer would then come tumbling out.

"But you only need to speak to international cricketers and international teams to know in what opinion they hold Hayden," he said looking at the broadside as just "one more instance of what our hosts have been up to all this summer.

The visiting Indian team feel all along they have been "provoked" by the Australians and a written complaint with the match referee Jeff Crowe after the Sydney game earlier this week was in response to it, as per PTI input.

Harbhajan was also surprised at the Australian opener's statement which said that Indians were complaining "because they are losing every game they are playing".
"Really, you think so? I would have thought we are the only ones who have got the Australians on the run this summer," he said.