‘I was born in Punjab, but made in Kolkata’: Harbhajan Singh reflects on historic 2001 Eden Gardens Test

The other day I was having a chat with Matthew Hayden in Goa. I asked him, “Why did you play that shot in the first innings at Eden Gardens?” It was in the second session on Day 1, he was batting on 97, and absolutely dominating us. Haydos said he was feeling confident and wanted to reach his century with a big shot — but as luck would have it, he got caught in the deep by Hemang Badani. That was our first little window of opportunity in that historic Test.

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Let’s go back to what happened before that. With Anil Kumble out injured, I was selected for the first Test in Mumbai because I had 28 wickets in the Ranji Trophy that season. At Wankhede, even though we lost pretty badly, I got four wickets. If I hadn’t got those wickets — three in quick succession — I might not have played at the Eden.





Those days, every game was a battle for survival for me and I came to Eden Gardens not very upbeat but focussed. It was a beautiful batting wicket on Day 1 and Australia started from where they had left off in Mumbai — till we got Hayden. Then I had Mark Waugh caught when he tried a cut.

What happened post tea changed my life forever. Ricky Ponting, whom I had dismissed in Mumbai too, came in, probably a little short of confidence. I knew I had to attack the stumps. He went back to my delivery that skidded and got trapped in front. Next in was Adam Gilchrist and I wouldn’t give him flight, because he was a good sweeper. This one also skidded in and he was leg-before.

And then arrived the magic moment. My aim was to keep it full to Shane Warne so that if he missed, I might get the leg-before. But the delivery was a little too full and he played a full-blooded flick. I will be forever indebted to what Sadagopan Ramesh did at forward short-leg. I always say that my hat-trick belongs as much to me as it does to Ramesh for that catch. He just extended his right hand and plucked it out of thin air.

From 252-4, the Aussies were now 252-6 and suddenly, we had hope. But Steve Waugh stood in the way. That Australian team just didn’t give up and Steve scored a brilliant century — his only one in India. He batted superbly with Jason Gillespie to get 445.

When we batted, it seemed that it was a different pitch. Wickets kept falling as did the mood in the dressing-room as a series loss loomed. Laxman had scored 59 in the first innings batting at No. 6 and coach John Wright suggested that he should go up in the second.

I need not elaborate what happened through Day 4. I can tell you what was happening in the dressing-room. None of us were allowed to change our seats as VVS and Rahul Dravid had that incredible partnership. By the end of day, some of us were joking that it was our will-power and superstition that helped the two champions.

The fifth day morning was a little fuzzy, as a junior I was not part of the decision-making process. I could understand that there was a lot of dilemma over declaration. When we took the field before lunch, we knew we had a chance.

I got Steve again, caught at legslip by Hemang Badani, which remains my favourite dismissal of the second innings. Sachin Tendulkar got those three wickets with some brilliant bowling, but Jason Gillespie was still standing.

Dada had fielders all around the bat and we kept attacking. Jason succumbed and then Glenn McGrath. Many ask me whether McGrath was out? Did it hit him a little too far outside the off-stump?

There was no DRS, no Hawk-eye, it was all what seemed with the naked eye. For me that was out the moment it hit his pad as he hadn’t offered a shot, and I am happy that umpire SK Bansal thought on similar lines. Those 13 wickets in that Test match changed my life forever. I still maintain, I was born in Punjab, but made in Kolkata.

(Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh spoke to Dwaipayan Datta)