SK Flashback: When Harbhajan Singh ripped the heart out of Australia’s batting at the Eden Gardens

#2 The collapse

The spell that changed the course of the match

Unquestionably, this was the phase of play that injected assurance in the Indian camp to storm back into the contest. From 193/1, the Kangaroos slumped to 269/8 within a space of 25 overs, which was pretty unusual for the all-dominating Australian team.

Amidst the hara-kiri by the Aussie batsmen, a young, enthusiastic Indian off-spinner took giant strides in the world of cricket. Australia, from being a dominant force, turned submissive to the Turbanator and gifted Harbhajan and Indian cricket their first hat-trick in Test cricket.

Ricky Ponting was trapped plumb in front after which Adam Gilchrist bit the dust to a similar dismissal to the spinner from Punjab. And then Shane Warne trotted forward to inside-edge a delivery into the palms of Sadagopan Ramesh, standing at short-leg. The decision went upstairs, but it was nothing, but delaying the inevitable as Harbhajan entered the record books.