1)Harbhajan Singh vs. Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2001
The Australian cricket team of 2001 was a side stacked with quality and the ability to win Test matches on a regular basis. This was something on show during the first Test of that series as the Steve Waugh-led side hammered India in Mumbai.
The second Test was at Eden Gardens, Kolkata and the away side were sitting pretty at 254/4 when Harbhajan Singh turned the match completely on its head. He first trapped Ricky Ponting with a flatter delivery that had the future Australia skipper caught right in front of the stumps.
Adam Gilchrist was dismissed in similar fashion although replays suggested a thick inside edge had guided the ball onto his pads. Shane Warne was the next man to take guard and Harbhajan changed his tactics for him. Instead of looking to bowl it flat, he gave the ball a bit of flight and got it to turn away from Warne.
Warne attempted a flick off the pads but Sadagopan Ramesh – who had just been put at forward short leg by Sourav Ganguly – pulled off an acrobatic catch to complete Harbhajan’s hat-trick. The match is mostly remembered for VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s epic partnership that handed India an unlikely win but it was Harbhajan who rallied the troops with his hat-trick.
2)Irfan Pathan vs. Pakistan at Karachi in 2006
Irfan Pathan wrote his name into the history books during India’s tour of Pakistan in 2006. Skipper Rahul Dravid won the toss and chose to field in the third Test, throwing the new ball to Pathan.
The first wicket came courtesy of a well-placed out-swinger that Butt tentatively poked at, getting an edge that flew into Dravid’s hands in the slip cordon.
Younis Khan was the next man in and Pathan bowled a similar ball to him first up, only this time it swung in to the right-hander. Younis was unable to read the ball and played down the wrong line, with the ball going past his bat and rapping him on the pads. The umpire had no hesitation in raising the finger.
Mohammad Yusuf was also served up a similar delivery but this time the ball went into the gap between his bat and pads and crashed into his stumps.
Pakistan would have the last laugh in this match though, fighting back from the early setback and beating India by a massive 341 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah vs. West Indies at Sabina Park,Kingston,Jamaica in 2019
Jasprit Bumrah had played a key role in India’s 318-run win in the first Test against West Indies at Antigua and he was at his ruthless best at Kingston too. Darren Bravo was the first to go, forced to play at a length delivery that was pitched on middle stump swinging away. He edged it to KL Rahul at second slip, who took a fine low catch.
Shamarh Brooks was then trapped plumb in front of the stumps with an inswinger and given out. He took the review but replays showed it would go on to hit the stumps and the decision stayed.
Roston Chase was then struck low on his pads but the umpire turned down the LBW appeal from the Indian players, prompting Virat Kohli to go for the review.
Kohli’s record with reviews is hit and miss at best but he was bang on the money in this case, prompting Bumrah to tell Kohli that he owed his hat-trick to the skipper.
The Australian cricket team of 2001 was a side stacked with quality and the ability to win Test matches on a regular basis. This was something on show during the first Test of that series as the Steve Waugh-led side hammered India in Mumbai.
The second Test was at Eden Gardens, Kolkata and the away side were sitting pretty at 254/4 when Harbhajan Singh turned the match completely on its head. He first trapped Ricky Ponting with a flatter delivery that had the future Australia skipper caught right in front of the stumps.
Adam Gilchrist was dismissed in similar fashion although replays suggested a thick inside edge had guided the ball onto his pads. Shane Warne was the next man to take guard and Harbhajan changed his tactics for him. Instead of looking to bowl it flat, he gave the ball a bit of flight and got it to turn away from Warne.
Warne attempted a flick off the pads but Sadagopan Ramesh – who had just been put at forward short leg by Sourav Ganguly – pulled off an acrobatic catch to complete Harbhajan’s hat-trick. The match is mostly remembered for VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s epic partnership that handed India an unlikely win but it was Harbhajan who rallied the troops with his hat-trick.
2)Irfan Pathan vs. Pakistan at Karachi in 2006
Irfan Pathan wrote his name into the history books during India’s tour of Pakistan in 2006. Skipper Rahul Dravid won the toss and chose to field in the third Test, throwing the new ball to Pathan.
The first wicket came courtesy of a well-placed out-swinger that Butt tentatively poked at, getting an edge that flew into Dravid’s hands in the slip cordon.
Younis Khan was the next man in and Pathan bowled a similar ball to him first up, only this time it swung in to the right-hander. Younis was unable to read the ball and played down the wrong line, with the ball going past his bat and rapping him on the pads. The umpire had no hesitation in raising the finger.
Mohammad Yusuf was also served up a similar delivery but this time the ball went into the gap between his bat and pads and crashed into his stumps.
Pakistan would have the last laugh in this match though, fighting back from the early setback and beating India by a massive 341 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah vs. West Indies at Sabina Park,Kingston,Jamaica in 2019
Jasprit Bumrah had played a key role in India’s 318-run win in the first Test against West Indies at Antigua and he was at his ruthless best at Kingston too. Darren Bravo was the first to go, forced to play at a length delivery that was pitched on middle stump swinging away. He edged it to KL Rahul at second slip, who took a fine low catch.
Shamarh Brooks was then trapped plumb in front of the stumps with an inswinger and given out. He took the review but replays showed it would go on to hit the stumps and the decision stayed.
Roston Chase was then struck low on his pads but the umpire turned down the LBW appeal from the Indian players, prompting Virat Kohli to go for the review.
Kohli’s record with reviews is hit and miss at best but he was bang on the money in this case, prompting Bumrah to tell Kohli that he owed his hat-trick to the skipper.
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