Brisbane, March 4: Accused of just about everything over the past two months and booed repeatedly, Harbhajan ‘Bhajji’ Singh flexed his muscles as he came off the Gabba after a historic tri-series win.

Later, on returning to the team hotel, the Sofitel, an emotional Harbhajan told The Telegraph that the 2-0 victory over the world champions had actually been his win.

“It was Bhajji versus Australia and Bhajji won.… Of course, I’m thrilled. It would be Bhajji-Bhajji everywhere. For that to continue now, they’ll have to invite me to stay here,” he said.

Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds may hate him but Harbhajan has definitely emerged as a symbol of standing up to the Australians’ much-talked about arrogance.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and senior-most pro Sachin Tendulkar enjoy a huge following, but on a par among expats in Australia at least is Harbhajan.

That got reinforced late tonight when the young Team India returned to the Sofitel, where the players were mobbed by dozens of “bahut hi khush” fans.

It was tough for Dhoni to get past them. It was tougher for Sachin as everybody wanted to touch him and the lone securityman, assigned as an escort, was at his wits’ end.

Indeed, it was as tough for Harbhajan to reach the elevator. Having again proved a point, he didn’t seem to mind the adulation though.

As Sachin was a few steps in front, he took the nearest elevator and got off on the 16th floor where, among others, he and Harbhajan are guests.

Harbhajan followed a minute or two later, but when the elevator stopped on that floor, he began asking: “Arre, yeh kaun sa hai...?” It was left to Sachin, who’d been waiting in the corridor, to remind him that he’d reached the right floor.

“Sardar, this is ours... Come on out,” Sachin said. It’s then that Harbhajan emerged, with a stump as a souvenir.

“A lot was going on, but if you ask me, Bhajji didn’t have to prove a point. Surely, he doesn’t have to after all these years,” Sachin said, patting Harbhajan.

Come to think of it, Sachin himself didn’t have anything to prove. Nevertheless, he silenced the small band of detractors with 117 not out and 91 in the two finals of the Commonwealth Bank-sponsored tri-series.

Those innings went a long way in ensuring that India, for the first time, succeeded in a triangular in Australia. The only other tournament win here was the 1985 World Championship of Cricket (WCC).

As the present team is youth-driven, four of the XI who played in the second finals — Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar — weren’t even born when Sunil Gavaskar lifted the WCC!

Irfan Pathan, who bowled the absolutely heart-stopping last over (with Australia needing 13 to force a third finals), had just been a few months old then.

With Dhoni’s young band delivering, to the extent that the tri-series got decided in tennis’ equivalent of straight sets, it will be impossible (to the extent that things can be in Indian cricket) for Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid to make a comeback in limited overs cricket.

It’s significant that Dhoni reiterated the emphasis would be on youth and that the “core group” for the future would come from this lot.

The message, then, is loud and clear.

What he didn’t say was that the success of somebody like Praveen (the son of a head constable in Meerut) would inspire others to dream big.

To realise those dreams, too.

It was a special moment when Gavaskar and Dhoni crossed each other after the captain’s news conference. “Great win… fantastic. Keep it up,” Gavaskar said affectionately.

Dhoni, who has been carrying an injury on his right hand and is desperate for a break, doffed his cap.

Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, acknowledged that his team had been outplayed and made no excuses. He also admitted that his own form had been “awful” and he was “as guilty” as anyone else.

The Australian media, however, wasn’t as graceful. Only one or two reporters stayed back for Dhoni’s news conference (which followed Ponting’s) and, so, missed some great lines from the Indian captain.

One example: “I don’t know what will happen to the Australian media once we leave tomorrow. They’ll have to replace him.... Bhajji’s pictures would be everywhere, like Michael Jackson’s.”

Somewhat uncharacteristic but, then, the tri-series was an unusual tournament.