Tendulkar helps Symonds, Bhajji heal 'Monkeygate'

Sachin Tendulkar has been in the forefront to bring an end to the most bitter feud in world cricket, and make Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh bury their hatchet, as Mumbai Indians surge to the top of the Indian Premier League.

Three years of seething animosity triggered by the "Monkeygate" scandal of the 2008 SCG Test has officially ended.

Symonds was stinging in his criticism of Harbhajan as recently as October 2010, but the pair has overcome an awkward start at Mumbai to form a friendship many thought impossible.

India's legend Tendulkar has been front and centre in healing their wounds, as Symonds likes his role of playing next to World Cup heroes Tendulkar and Harbhajan.

Spending most of his time living away from the spotlight in far north Queensland has mellowed a complex 35-year-old soul in the twilight of his tumultuous career, The Australian reports.

"I'm not really doing any interviews, sorry -- but it's all good here," Symonds said this week when asked about his relationship with Harbhajan.

His manager Matt Fearon confirmed the truce. "That's definitely the case. They've left everything in the past. The auction for the IPL was in January. I remember calling him and saying, well, you're going to Mumbai -- with Harbhajan. He said two words: 'Aw, true?'

"That said it all. He was a bit speechless. It would be fair to say there was a bit of uncertainty about how it would play out. There was an unknown there but yes, they are getting on great. They are both competitive animals. When two people like that are on different teams, there can be some very real tension. But put them in the same team and it's a different story," Fearon said.

Symonds and Harbhajan became sworn enemies when the fourth Test of the 2007-2008 series exploded courtesy of a racial vilification charge against Harbhajan after he called Symonds a monkey.