As the only son among six siblings in the family, 'Sonu,' as Harbhajan is known to near and dear ones, was the darling of the house and could have inherited his father's business. But his father Sardar Sardev Singh had one wish, a pretty big wish as it turns out: that his darling ‘Bhajji' should one day represent India.

"His father used to deal in hand tools. But he never wanted ‘Sonu' to be part of the business," says Avtar Kaur, Harbhajan's mother.

It was his father's sudden demise two years ago that strengthened Bhajji's desire to go all out to fulfill Sardev Singh's wish.

"Right from childhood he had a fascination for games. He was interested in kabbadi, judo, karate, cricket… and also the bhangra. He was good at all games," reveals Bhajji's mother.

"One day he told his father he wanted to be a cricketer. His father said he had no problem about it so long as he excelled at it. His cousin Kartar Singh, who is a badminton coach, introduced him to a cricket coach and that's how Sonu's began his association with cricket."

Cousin Kartar says Harbhajan would have been just another player playing cricket had it not been for his 'gurus.'

Harbhajan with his mother at his sister's wedding

"His first coach Charanjit Singh Bhullar, who is no more, thought Sonu wanted to be a batsman," says Kartar. "He told us he was an ordinary bowler and would have to strive hard to become a good batsman. After Bhullar pased away I had to look out for a new coach. This brought his present coach, Davinder Arora, into the picture. One look at his bowling action and Davinder was convinced he had it in him."

Arora, who had played cricket with Kartar, took Harbhajan under his wing and chalked out a tough training schedule for his new student.

"From day one 'Bhajji' showed remarkable patience in bowling at the spot. He would bowl for three hours at a stretch. One hour was set aside every day to bowling at a single stump," recalls Arora. "He would start his day around 11 in the morning and by the time other students joined him he would have finished his morning regimen. After lunch he would return to the ground around three and continue till late in the evening. He used the headlights of a parked scooter to continue his practice if it got dark. All that hardwork and persistence is now paying off."

Barring the time when he was down with injury or illness, Harbhajan never missed training, cycling from home to the practice ground in Daulatpuri, in Jalandhar city, thrice a day.

Little wonder India skipper Sourav Ganguly often tells Harbhajan, "Tum ek lumbi race ke ghode ho [You are a true thoroughbred]. Harbhajan, for his part, trusts the captain more than any one else.

"He has implicit faith in his captain. During the initial stages when Harbhajan was afraid to flight the ball, Sachin Tendulkar would often walk up to him, pat 'Bhajji' on his shoulders and tell him, ‘Come on, flight the ball. Don't be afraid of being hit around the ground. That will get you wickets as well,' '' says Arora.

Although his skills have not been greatly required in this World Cup, thanks to the successes notched up by the pacemen, Harbhajan's home in Daulatpuri is on everybody's lips in Jalandhar.

On the street leading to Harbhajan's house, youngsters mimick his television commercials and each time he takes a wicket or hits the ball for a six, the children of Daulatpuri celebrate with the beating of drums.

"March 11, 2001 is one day we will never forget. That was the day Sonu became the first Indian to take a hat-trick in Test cricket," recalls Sandeep Kaur, Harbhajan's younger sister. "We called the dholi and the whole of Daulatpuri joined us in bhangra and gidda. The celebrations continued for almost a month. When Sonu returned home after the series, the whole of Jalandhar turned up at the railway station to welcome their new hero. We covered a distance of five minutes in little over an hour."

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's letter to Harbhajan

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee joined the family in their moment of glory sending Harbhajan a commendation letter, which read: 'Please accept my hearty congratulations on your stupendous feat yesterday (11.3.2001) against Australia at Kolkata. By becoming the first Indian to achieve a hat-trick in Test cricket, you have brought glory to the country and to yourself. Please accept my best wishes for even greater achievements for the years to come.'

Then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that Harbhajan would be directly recruited as a deputy superintendent of police in the state police force.

"But when he went to join duty he was told he would have to undergo training for a year after joining, something he could ill-afford with the heavy schedule of the Indian team. Naturally, he declined the offer and joined Indian Airlines at Amritsar instead," says Sandeep Kaur.

Despite living out of his suitcase for most of the year, Harbhjan's eating habits have not changed."He loves to eat rajmah-chawal. And he loves the sight of aloo and gobhi paratha. When he is at home he must have parathas for breakfast. During his early days he would love to have jalebis as a sweet dish," says his mother.

"He is the same person I have known for the last eight years. He has not changed one bit. He loves Punjabi music, particularly Jasbir Jassi, the pop singer," says friend Surinder Sharma.