Harbhajan Singh's 3 best bowling performances in international cricket

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was an influential player across formats and reigned supreme from the turn of the century until his eventual retirement. The Turbanator turns 43 years old on July 3, 2023, giving fans a chance to reminisce about the finest bowling displays of his illustrious career.

The Punjab-born player made his debut in 1998 but had to wait a while for his breakthrough performances. His future looked bleak after a mediocre first year in the international circuit, and he had to wait a considerable while for a potential second chance, which turned his career around.

The 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy proved to be Harbhajan's launchpad as he took 32 wickets in the four-match series and was named the Player of the Series as well. He became a regular member of the Indian team since then, forging a formidable chemistry with fellow tweaker, Anil Kumble.

Harbhajan Singh was also one of the few members, who played an active role in Team India's victorious campaigns at the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. He was a proficient bowler across both red-ball and white-ball formats and also made a serious case in the shortest format in the form of several successful Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons.

On that note, let us take a look at Harbhajan Singh's three best bowling performances in international cricket.

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#1 7-123 and 6-73 (India vs Australia; 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy; Eden Gardens, Kolkata)

There are many heroes in the incredible Test win over Australia at Eden Gardens, which ultimately paved the way for a comeback series win as well.

The marathon partnership between Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman has been well documented, and so has a bowling performance from then-20-year-old Harbhajan Singh.

The spinner finished with figures of 7-123 in the first innings, which included a hat-trick, but he was about to surpass the mammoth effort in a crucial spell in the final innings.

Team India got themselves in a position to win the Test match ahead of the final session and it was Harbhajan who sparked life into the hosts' hope of winning the Test match from an unimaginable position. He picked up the crucial wickets of Michael Slater and Justin Langer to induce the early cracks.

Harbhajan then dismissed skipper Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting in quick succession, which allowed Sachin Tendulkar to wreak havoc from the other end. He ended the proceedings by dismissing Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath, to finish with 13 wickets in the contest.

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#2 5-56 (India vs Sri Lanka; Compaq Cup Final; R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)

The clashes between India and Sri Lanka were once highly competitive considering the plethora of talent each side had. It was unsurprising that both teams were pitted against each other in the finals of the Compaq Cup ODI tri-series which also involved New Zealand.

Sachin Tendulkar's glittering hundred put India in pole position as Sri Lanka were left to chase down 320 runs for the title. The dangerous opening pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya got Sri Lanka off to a good start. The pair put on 64 runs in just eight overs before Harbhajan Singh struck.

The off-spinner bamboozled Dilshan with a doosra to deliver the first breakthrough and also dismissed Mahela Jayawardena in his very next over. The two quick dismissals put the chasing side on the back foot and were reduced to 182-6.

However, with plenty of overs still remaining, Sri Lanka were still in the hunt and their efforts were led by Thilina Kandamby. The left-handed batter scored a well-composed fifty and it was Harbhajan Singh, who once again delivered the killing strike.

He wiped up the tail as well to finish with a well-deserved five-wicket haul.

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#3 4-12 (India vs England; 2012 T20 World Cup; R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)

Harbhajan Singh's T20I career was on and off, but certainly impactful. He mustered 28 appearances across a 10-year period and ended with 25 wickets at an economy rate of 6.31.

His spell against Australia in the T20 World Cup 2007 semi-final was widely praised as he ended with figures of 1-24 in a high-scoring encounter. While he was not renowned for his innate wicket-taking ability in the shortest format, he did manage to pick up a four-fer.

During the 2012 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, he derailed the England batting unit with figures of 4-12. His spell included two maiden overs as India bowled out the opposition for just 80 runs to secure a 90-run win.

Is Harbhajan Singh the greatest multi-format spinner Team India have ever produced? Let us know what you think.