You don’t bowl to take a hat-trick, it happens, opines Harbhajan Singh
Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh, recalling his hattrick against Australia, the first by an Indian with the red ball, shared how his urge to justify his selection turned out to be such a historic feat. Harbhajan’s victims were the big Aussie names - Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne.
No one would have wondered that the Kolkata Test between India and Australia in 2001 would turn out to be such a momentous occasion for then playing just his 10th Test Harbhajan Singh, who took to the field with an urge to justify his selection and silence his critics. After tough first two sessions, Harbhajan stepped up to take what was the first hattrick by an Indian in Tests and turn the game around.
As he recalled his historic feat, Harbhajan’s eyes lit up. India were struggling to get a hold on the Aussie’s as they scored without breaking a sweat and it was then Harbhajan turned up the heat as he castled the dangerous-looking Ricky Ponting.
“I was happy to get Mark Waugh. And then three in a row. Ponting was a prized wicket because he can be unsparing. There was not much turn and I just looked to bowl wicket-to-wicket. I was lucky in the sense that the ball went straight, did not turn,” Harbhajan told Sportstar.
Next up was yet another devastating batsman Adam Gilchrist and Harbhajan, who have had a tiring day so far, tried his luck with a flat one dead at the stumps and there he had his second prized scalp of the game. The hat-trick ball had Harbhajan, who ended up with 13 wickets in the game, thinking a lot as he prepared to take on Shane Warne. In the end, it took a valiant catch by Sadogoppan Ramesh to complete what Harbhajan labelled “a team hattrick.”
“It was simple. I had to bowl within the stumps. Line was important. I knew he loves to sweep and I had to deny him. Once again the ball stayed flat and Gilly had no chance. He was trapped plumb. I was aware that Warne likes to be aggressive. I just had to keep the ball straight. I aimed at hitting the pad. It was an incredible catch by Ramesh that got me the hat-trick. You don’t bowl to take a hat-trick. It happens. It was a team hat-trick.”
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