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Harbhajan Singh's AWESOME Records

By RAJNEESH GUPTA
December 27, 2021 17:43 IST

Harbhajan Singh is the first Indian to take a Test hat-trick. He achieved this feat while playing against Australia at Kolkata in March 2001 by dismissing Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers of the 'Turbanator' who retired from all form of cricket last week.

IMAGE: Harbhajan Singh celebrates Adam Gilchrist's wicket, the second wicket of a hat trick, on day one of the second Test between India and Australia at Eden Gardens, March 11, 2001. Photograph: Hamish Blair/ALLSPORT/Getty Images
 

0 Number of Indian bowlers to take a Test-match hat-trick before Harbhajan.

He achieved the distinction of becoming the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick while playing against Australia at Kolkata in 2001 by dismissing Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne.

0 Number of players in Test cricket other than Harbhajan Singh to score two hundreds in the same series while batting at number 8 or lower.

Harbhajan made 115 in the second innings of Ahmedabad Test against New Zealand in 2010-11, which was also his maiden first-class hundred.

In the next Test at Hyderabad, he scored an unbeaten 111 off just 116 balls.

Both his hundreds came at number 8.

1 Harbhajan remains the only Indian bowler to take four consecutive five-wicket hauls in Test cricket.

He accomplished this feat against Australia in March 2001 when he took 7/123 and 6/73 at Kolkata and then took 7/133 and 8/84 at Chennai.

1 There has been only one better performance by an Indian bowler in a Test match than Harbhajan's 15 for 217 (against Australia at Chennai in 2000-01) -- Narendra Hirwani's 16 for 136 also at Chennai in 1987-88.

2 Number of non-English players to take three ten-wicket match hauls against Australia in Test cricket-- Richard Hadlee and Harbhajan Singh.

IMAGE: Harbhajan Singh in action during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 game against Australia, February 15, 2003, South Africa. Photograph: Hamish Blair/Getty Images

5 Number of Indian players with all-round double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in both Tests and One-Day Internationals.

Harbhajan is a member of this exclusive club with Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri, Irfan Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja being the others to have this distinction.

17 years and 265 days -- Harbhajan's age on his Test debut, hich made him the youngest off-spinner ever to play for India.

32 Wickets taken by Harbhajan Singh against Australia in the 2001 home series -- the most by an Indian bowler ever in a three-match Test series.

In fact, there have been only three better performances in all Test cricket in a series of three matches or more -- George Lohmann (35 wickets in 1895-1896 vs South Africa), Sydney Barnes (34 wickets in 1912 series vs South Africa) and Richard Hadlee (33 wickets in 1985-1986 vs Australia).

42 Number of sixes hit by Harbhajan Singh in his Test career -- the most by an Indian while batting at number eight or lower.

46 Number of Tests taken by Harbhajan Singh to take 200 Test wickets -- then a record for an Indian bowler (Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have since broken this Indian record).

60 Number of times Harbhajan has taken 60 or more wickets in Tests in a calendar year - 60 in 2001, 63 in 2002 and 63 in 2008.

He is the only Indian to accomplish this feat.

IMAGE: Harbhajan Singh hits a shot. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

102 Wickets taken by Harbhajan Singh in all international cricket in 2002 -- the most by an Indian bowler in a calendar year across formats.

150 Wickets taken by Harbhajan in IPL -- the fifth most by any bowler.

417 Wickets taken by Harbhajan in Tests -- the fourth highest for India

707 Wickets taken by Harbhajan in all international cricket (Tests + ODIs + T20Is).

Only Anil Kumble has taken more wickets for India: 953

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com

RAJNEESH GUPTA / Rediff.com

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