'Mate, what's wrong with you? What are you looking at?' - Harbhajan Singh narrates incident from 2001 when Shane Warne misunderstood him

Harbhajan Singh, the former India spinner, has detailed an occasion in which Shane Warne misinterpreted his actions. Warne, who passed away earlier this month aged 52, inspired a generation of young cricketers, particularly spin bowlers, to take up the sport.

He is still considered the greatest spinner of all time in the game of cricket. One of the players inspired by Warne was Harbhajan, who fulfilled a childhood ambition by playing against his idol during the famous 2001 Test series between India and Australia.

At the iconic Eden Gardens, Harbhajan had dismissed Warne for a hat-trick, to become the first Indian Test cricketer to achieve the feat. Harbhajan and Warne met in a different fashion as India leveled the series with a 171-run win in Kolkata, and the action proceeded to the finale in Chennai.

Harbhajan describes the incident of his encounter with the legendary Shane Warne

“Let me tell you a story which I’ve specially mentioned in my book which is in the process of getting ready. I had met him briefly in the series when I took 32 wickets against Australia in 2001. In the third Test match in Chennai, he was batting with Steve Waugh and was at the non-striker’s end,” Harbhajan told Brett Lee on the latter’s podcast.

“I was just admiring him while standing at my run-up. And while I was just admiring him and looking at him, he saw me and asked ‘mate, what’s wrong with you? What are you looking at?’ He actually thought that I’m trying to say or do something,” he added.

Harbhajan went on to explain how he made a point of clearing the air before things went out of hand. The former India spinner told Warne that he was having a fanboy moment, and that he had nothing but adoration and respect for Warne.

“So I walked up to him and said ‘look mate, I’m just admiring my hero who is next to me and this was a dream to see you playing live. And I am playing with you so this is a great moment for me. I just wanted to have that moment that I was playing with Shane Warne. He said, ‘thanks mate’ and from that time onwards, we had that bonding. After taking those 32 wickets, he came and congratulated me later, and I was just moved when he came and wished me. He said ‘well-done mate. You have a long way to go’,” Harbhajan added while describing the incident.