A young Harbhajan Singh celebrates after taking the hat-trick against Australia in the second Test Test match at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2001-02 series. (BCCI) In the 2001 series against Australia, Anil Kumbleโs injury furnished Harbhajan Singh a rare break. He grabbed it with both hands taking 32 wickets, including a hat-trick in the series as India halted Australiaโs 16-match winning streak to win the series 2-1.
Where were you when @harbhajan_singh took this memorable hat-trick?pic.twitter.com/Z3iww5X7Kw
๐ฝ๏ธ @Zohaib1981
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) May 1, 2020
It was just the start of a fruitful career that saw him claim 417 Test wickets, and 269 ODI wickets, besides winning the T20I as well as the 2011 World Cups.
Moment which changed my life #Hattrick #Grateful @BCCI ๐๐ pic.twitter.com/8Is0UothJh
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) March 11, 2021
The series turned out to be a career-changing one for the Jalandhar born spinner. In the second Test at Eden Gardens, the Turbanator bagged a hat-trick, a first Indian to achieve the rare feat.
๐๐ข๐๐ค๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ โ
๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ โ
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ โ #OnThisDay in 2001 vs ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ became the first ๐ฎ๐ณ to claim a Test hat-trick at the iconic ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians @harbhajan_singh @BCCI pic.twitter.com/d5x6UZ2C6T— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 11, 2022
Australia, who had won the first Test match by 10 wickets, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, were in a dominant position on Day 1 of the Kolkata Test at 252/4. Harbhajan got Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne off successive deliveries in the 72nd over to have them pegged back at 252/7.
Harbhajan ended up with 13 wickets in the match and Indian won the Test by 171 runs after Australia enforced the follow on.
Australia scored 445 in the first innings, courtesy of a century from captain Steve Waugh (10) and his gritty 133-run stand with Jason Gillespie (46). In reply, India got bundled out for a paltry 171 and were staring at a heavy defeat.
In their second essay, VVS Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) stitch together a 376-run partnership, with India declaring at 657 for 7.
Harbhajan Singh (6/73) and Sachin Tendulkar (3/31) spun a wave in Australia’s second innings as the Australian got bundled out for 212, and India registered a stunning 171 run win.
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