Harbhajan Singh has been the real disappointment in this series. Apart from Ponting, he has not even troubled any other batsman.

His batting has been good, but we want him to take wickets and win matches for India rather than score runs.

I wonder whether this is the beggining of the end for him.

Ian Chappell would agree:
See Cricinfo - Ian Chappell: A fine partnership between Ponting and Clarke - Transcript

Ravi Shastri has echoed those thoughts... See Cricinfo - Ravi Shastri: Harbhajan Singh was a huge disappointment - Transcript

I think Rachael that this backs up the thinking that finger spinners in particular Off Spinners have been sussed by the worlds best batsmen years ago.

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Ern

Not really: Harbhajan has always been over-hyped because he can generate huge turn off the pitch... but all his comparative ineffectiveness demonstrates is that finger-spin is far more about building pressure through consistency of line/length and about defeating batsmen in the air rather than off the deck.

Adelaide is particularly unforgiving for any bowler that strays off a good line and length: there's not the bounce (or uneven-ness) needed to pose a threat off the pitch... and the square boundaries put a further premium on accuracy and guile.

I agree that Harbhajan has been highly over-rated as a bowler. Apart from one series against Australia in 2001, he has hardly done anything worthwhile.

I doubt very much whether he is known for extracting "huge" spin as you say.

The other thing is that Harbhajan bowls too quick for a spin bowler. He just does not use flight as a weapon which one would expect from a quality off-spinner.

Even at the SCG, he was totally ineffective.

Top class spinners bowling in tandem on this pitch in Adelaide should have secured a big lead for their team after their batsmen had scored 526 in the first innings.

I agree with that - but who since Embury is able to bowl a consistent line and length like an off spinner needs to?, it's IMO a dying art.

Underwood arguably was the best finger spinner without getting heaps of turn, (I know you regard him as a medium pacer) but got lots od wickets by being accurate delivery after delivery, I never knew a spin bowler who could create so much pressure.
I think the links below will say what I mean.

Cricinfo - Is the finger-spinner a dying breed?
And this
Cricket: Finger spinners under threat of extinction | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET.com
And is Murali a true finger spinner - IMO I think not.

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Ern

I think this series has been an ordeal.

Harbhajan after all the controversy and missing out in playing in India's victory in Perth. Has probably come into this match physiologically exhausted and down in confidence on what I think is a terrible test match pitch.

Brad Hogg deserves all the same criticism that Harbhajan is copping. Not to mention the batsmen who missed out like Ganguly and Hussey

But the thing with that Independant article is that it was written in 1998. Since then, I'd say that finger-spin is on the rise. England have unearthed Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann (I really can't understand why they don't give him a chance), South Africa have Paul Harris, Zimbabwe have Prosper Utseya (with Ray Price still going strong), New Zealand already has Daniel Vettori with Jeetan Patel coming through, and apparently even the West Indies have a potential offie in Amit Juggernaught. So it does look to me like there's a few decent finger-spinners in the mix.

I believe the thread is about Harbhajan and not the pros and cons or the demise of finger spin bowling in general. What is Harbhajan doing wrong? In my opinion, everything... He perhaps needs to have a long session with the yesteryear spinners of India - the likes of Bedi and Prasanna...

Even until the time of controversy at the SCG, Harbhajan bowled very poorly and never looked like getting a wicket - he did not even trouble any batsman.