All posts tagged: India vs Australia 2001

25 years since Harbhajan Singh’s hat-trick and Adam Gilchrist’s controversial lbw

25 years since Harbhajan Singh’s hat-trick and Adam Gilchrist’s controversial lbw

Published by Webster

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) …

When Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman stamped a record Duleep Trophy partnership, two months before Eden Gardens 2001 | Cricket News

Published by Webster

If one turns the clock back to 2001 in Indian cricket circles, two individuals and an iconic venue will almost always prop up for long discussions. When VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid convened mid-pitch on day three of a tumultuous Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the Eden Gardens in March 2001, everything was on the line for Sourav Ganguly’s side. After slumping to a defeat against Australia in the first Test of the three-match series in Mumbai, India had allowed the visitors to wrest control within the first two days in Kolkata. Posting 445 in the first innings, Australia skittled India for 171 and enforced the follow-on. To regain the title, India had to tide the odds – only twice before had a team won after being asked to follow-on. India had slipped to 202 for four before tea on Day 3 after Ganguly’s dismissal. In at 6, Dravid joined Laxman to see off the day at 254/4. The middle-order bulwarks soon wiped out Day 4 from Australia’s bowling map as they batted to 589/4 and …