The following is an extract from Test Match Cricket: C4 and the ECB's official guide to the 1st Test between England and India at Lord's, available at the ground throughout the match.

His Test career may span only a handful of seasons, but Harbhajan Singh has already encountered his share of ups and downs with questions about his action and disciplinary problems being followed by a 32-wicket haul against Australia last year to lead India to victory in one of the most dramatic series of all time...

Who was the first person to call you The Turbanator?

I don’t remember, actually. The Australian media started calling me that after I got 32 wickets in the series against them...

Do you take offence?

No, it’s a good name – a Terminator is all about destroying people, so it’s a good name. As long as I’m being destructive. [laughs]

As a Sikh, you’re responsible for marrying your sisters off...

It’s a big responsibility for me. I have five sisters: three are married already; the fourth one is about to get married – which I arranged. And the fifth one – I don’t know where I’m going to get her married! And then, finally, it will be my turn.

When you had trouble with your action a few years ago, you came to England – what happened on that trip?

I had two days with Fred Titmus in the indoor nets and a day flying each way. He just told me that my head was falling away too much... I was very confident on the plane over that there was nothing wrong. Everyone was very confident. But we had to go through the formalities of having my action worked on.

Is there a kind of spinners’ union, with all the spinners helping each other?

When Pakistan were touring India in 1999, I used to sit with Saqlain in the evening and I’d ask him ‘How do you do this?’ ‘How do you do that?’. And he showed me what he did. He helped on the ‘doosra’ – the disguised ball that spins the other way.

Spinners are good people. Whenever you talk to them, they listen to you, advise you, show you how they’ve become successful in international cricket. I talked to Murali when I was in Sri Lanka, and he was helpful, showed me a few things...

Will you be giving Ashley Giles some advice?

Well, I was talking to Richard Dawson when he was out in India in the winter. It’s good to know each other, know what the other spinners are doing. I talked to Shane Warne when they toured India. He was a nice bloke – he helped me.

How has being a cricket celebrity affected your life? We hear Tendulkar can’t leave his house…

Sachin is different. He’s like a God in India. Cricket is very big in India: it’s more like a religion. People really love it.

When I got the 32 wickets against Australia, I got a huge welcome when I came back. After that, I got noticed when I went out; people come up and talk to me – but I can go anywhere. I can go to restaurants. People come and talk to me, but it’s good. For Sachin, it’s different.

24 Jul, 2002