Sreesanth in tears after being slapped by Harbhajan Singh during last year’s IPL. A file picture

Calcutta: The national selectors have done their bit, now captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has to pay much more attention to man management in the Team India dressing room.

Not because of the return of the Test specialists, for the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka, but the coming together of Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth after the April 25, 2008 slapgate affair involving the two in the inaugural IPL.

A different challenge, then, awaits Dhoni when the squad assembles in Ahmedabad ahead of the first Test, from Monday.

Harbhajan, it may be recalled, slapped Sreesanth after the Mumbai Indians versus Kings XI Punjab match, in Mohali. The temperamental speedster had been needling the garam-garam Sardar during the game and ended up getting the slap of his life.

Not that Harbhajan, captaining the Mumbai franchise, got away with the shocking act. He was himself slapped with a heavy fine, barred from any further role in that edition of the IPL and, most significant, banned for five ODIs.

That last punishment, more than anything else, really hurt.

In a recent interview to The Telegraph, Harbhajan did admit he’d made a mistake. It’s to be seen, though, whether both have actually forgotten something which didn’t have a precedent.

Among other things, senior pro Harbhajan told this newspaper: “... I made a mistake by slapping Sreesanth... I paid a price, missing many matches. The punishment affected me...

“I did disappoint (fans), yes... I’ve tried to make amends by becoming a better person and a better cricketer... Life doesn’t stop with one incident and I hope my well-wishers will recognise what I’ve done since the post-ban comeback... I’ve been working very hard, believe me.”

Harbhajan and Sreesanth have met after that, but haven’t shared the Team India dressing room as the latter has only just been picked for the first time in 20 months.

One expects both to have drawn lessons from that night in Mohali, but Dhoni will still need to keep a watchful eye.

At the very least, that is.