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On this day in 2001, Harbhajan Singh became the first Indian to bag a Test hat-trick, flooring Australia in Kolkata. (BCCI)
In March 2001, Harbhajan Singh was three years into his international career. Yet, in this period, he had lacked one standout moment that would kickstart his career and take it to the next level.
On March 11, he would get that moment, albeit a bit fortuitously. India were 0-1 down in a three-match Test series against Australia, and on Day 1 of the second Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, found themselves in a bit of a hole at 236/3.
It seemed like the hosts were in for yet another hard day in the office until Harbhajan began the 72nd over of the day. Off the second ball, he caught Ricky Ponting plumb in front as he tried to work a ball on the leg side.
Next ball, Adam Gilchrist received the same fate as he was given out lbw on the first ball by umpire SK Bansal. Except, as Gilchrist recalled in his book “True Colours”, there was a massive slice of luck that had helped Harbhajan’s cause.
“Eden Gardens in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is famous for many things, but most of all its size. It holds 90,000 people, and on the first day of the Second Test, I think there were 110,000 in.”
“We won the toss and batted really well. Slats, Haydos and JL all made runs, and after tea, we got to 3-236. It was happening! Then Mark Waugh got out to Harbhajan for 22, and Punter fell lbw for 6. So I went in at 5-252.”
“Harbhajan’s first ball pitched well outside leg stump and turned back into me. I tried to turn it to the on-side and got a very thick edge into my pads. There were Indians crowded around the bat, and to my surprise, they appealed. To my even greater surprise, the Indian umpire S.K.Bansal gave me out”.
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“It was a terrible decision, and I remember walking off with a half-smile on my face, a bit stunned but philosophical. It all happened too quickly for me. But I was thinking, ‘I can’t do much about that, everything will be alright’. I’ll get them the next time. I still thought nothing could bring me down off my high,” the former Australian wicketkeeper-batter wrote.
In the following delivery, Shane Warne fell first ball caught superbly by Sadagoppan Ramesh at forward short-leg. It was referred upstairs to the third umpire, and after a long delay, the red light flashed on the screen.
After the day’s play, Harbhajan told reporters that he wished his father was alive to see him create history at the Eden Gardens.
“I just wish my father Sardev Singh was here today. He passed away six months back. He would have really felt proud about my performance”.
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“I pushed one quicker through the air to Ponting. He was beaten by pace and was leg before. I used the same delivery against Adam Gilchrist as he was fresh at the wicket. The result was the same. When I was about to deliver the next ball to Warne, Sachin ran up to me. He just told me to make the batsman play at the delivery. However, the credit for Warne’s wicket should go entirely to Sadagopan Ramesh. He was the person who helped me to fulfill a dream that I will always cherish,” he said.
Years later, both players indulged in banter on social media platform X, where the two players exchanged words on the hat-trick.
No DRS 😩 https://t.co/3XsCqk9ZiR
— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) August 31, 2019
Harbhajan replied saying that he may not have lasted longer even if he was given not out.
“U think u would have survived for long if not first ball ? Stop crying over these things mate..thought u would talk sense after ur playing days.. but few things never change u r the prime example of that. Always crying,” he wrote.
DRS or no DRs, the hat-trick was complete, and Harbhajan had found his defining moment.
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