'Aussies shocked that Indians can talk back'

Sydney: The Indian team management is ready to defend Harbhajan Singh when the ICC hearing on the charge of racial abuse against the Indian off-spinner takes place on Sunday. In an exclusive chat with CNN-IBN's Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra, India manager Chetan Chauhan defended Harbhajan and also said that the Australians were playing their mind games.

"I don't think he has uttered any word or used any wrong word of which he has been charged with. We have got the hearing postponed to Sunday evening," Chetan Chauhan said.

Gaurav Kalra: What's your reflection on Harbhajan's state of mind?

Chetan Chauhan: He is ok. There is nothing wrong with him. Few things happen on the ground and that is what has happened. The rest of course will be argued in the hearing.

Gaurav Kalra: Matthew Hayden said in the press conference today that he believes Australia have a strong case. What is your view?

Chetan Chauhan: Well, they will definitely say that because I think he is a person who is troubling them the most and he is one of the strike bowlers and attacking bowler of India and they would definitely want him out of the attack and that could be the reason why they are claiming that they have a strong case. But at the same time, I would also say that even we have a strong case, as he didn't utter anything, which is wrong, and we will back him up.

Gaurav Kalra: Do you find this a bit strange that Australia are accusing someone of over-aggressive tactics or something like this?

Chetan Chauhan: It is just that in the past the retaliation had not come from the Indians - we had accepted whatever they had said - the slang, the sledging or whatever was there, we would never answer back. But now the Indian boys have started answering back and maybe that is the reason why they are a bit surprised and shocked and hence, they are not able to gulp it down.

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