Australia's star all-rounder Andrew Symonds, now undergoing rehabilitation for his "gone fishing" misadventure, is facing choppy waters getting back in the swim.

Captaining the Queensland Bulls in a six-match Twenty20 series against the touring Kolkata Knightriders in Brisbane, the temperamental Symonds scored just three off four balls in each match yesterday, giving him a total of 17 runs from five innings in the series.

The Bulls won the series 5-1, but Symonds was a conspicuous failure, spending more time in the nets than on the field yesterday in a match in which the Kolkatans were restricted to 115 for eight to give the Bulls a 48-run win.

In the second game yesterday, Symonds rested while the Knightriders were bowled out for 96.

He did not come in to bat until the 11th over when the Bulls were 75 for five and was run out by a direct Rujul Bhatt direct throw from mid-wicket after stroking three singles. The Queenslanders coasted home to victory with four overs to spare.

John Buchanan, former Australian coach who is now mentoring the Kolkata outfit, refused to read too much into Symonds' sputtering return to the game.

"This is just getting a bit of feel for cricket again," Buchanan said. "He's still probably in the process of getting himself stronger in preparing well."


                   *********

Tearaway pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who was at the receiving end of Harbhajan Singh's ire in the Indian Premier League (IPL), believes the champion spinner is genuinely chastened after his suspension.

Sreesanth has been ruled out of the ongoing Board President XI's match against the touring Australians in Hyderabad with a sore back.

He is backing Harbhajan to be successful against the Australians and to continue to torment Ricky Ponting, having claimed his wicket eight times in Tests.

"I am a huge fan of his, and everyone learns from experience," Sreesanth is quoted here as saying.

"I am looking forward to playing with him (Harbhajan) again. Life has moved on and I think whatever he has learnt from cricket is good for India"

Meanwhile, Harbhajan, too, has promised to behave himself and not react if provoked by the Australians.

"Whatever he speaks, he does it," Sreesanth said about Harbhajan. He has always done well against Australia since those 32 wickets (in 2001), and Ricky Ponting should watch out for him."

The 25-year old Kerala speedster said he, too, had learnt from the IPL, playing for the Punjab Kings XI, after sharing the dressing-room with Brett Lee and Shaun Marsh.