Reformed Harbhajan hopes to leave Australia in a spin

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh wants the focus firmly on his bowling and not his behaviour when the home test series against Australia starts on Oct. 9.

"Yes, I'm sick of all the bad-boy crap," he told Hindustan Times on Friday ahead of the four-test series.

"I've no interest in hearing about how controversies follow me wherever I go," he said. "I'm going to stay away from all that."

He added: "It's always important to learn from your mistakes. I've learnt my lessons, good and bad, the good things teach you stuff as well."

India will rely heavily on the 28-year-old, their second most successful test spinner, who is nine short of taking 300 wickets, while hoping he would avoid the kind of drama that marred their previous trip Down Under.

India threatened to pull out of the series in January after Harbhajan was initially found guilty of racially abusing all rounder Andrew Symonds in the acrimonious second test in Sydney.

A standoff between the teams was ended after the charge was downgraded on appeal to using abusive language and he was let off with a fine. Australia won the series 2-1.

The Indian board then suspended Harbhajan for five one-dayers in May for slapping fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth during a domestic Twenty20 league match.