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On this Day: Irfan Pathan rattled Pakistan, became the first to claim a hat-trick in first over of a Test
India won the toss against Pakistan in 2006 in Karachi and opted to bowl first. Irfan Pathan was thrown the new ball and he did not disappoint his captain. Pathan became the second India bowler after Harbhajan Singh to claim a Test hat-trick.
15 years ago on this day – January 29, 2006 – Irfan Pathan etched his name in the record books. The left-arm pacer became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match. That it came against arch-rivals Pakistan in their own backyard made it all the more special.
It was the third Test of the series. The first two Test matches had ended in draws and naturally, the pitch for the final Test had a greenish tinge to it, perhaps to aid the Pakistan fast bowlers more.
But it was India captain Rahul Dravid who won the toss and opted to bowl first. Irfan Pathan was thrown the new ball and he did not disappoint his captain.
The left-arm pacer known for his in-dipper to the right-hander, dismissed Pakistan opener Salman Butt for a duck off the fourth ball with a perfect outgoing delivery that took the outside edge.
Younis Khan walked in at No.3 for Pakistan and he was trapped right in front with a delivery that came back in sharply.
Mohammad Yousuf, one of Pakistan’s best batsmen at that time, was the next man in and Pathan perhaps reserved his best one for Yousuf. The hat-trick ball pitched around off and tailed back in to sneak through the gap between the right-hander’s bat and pad and hit the top of middle.
Irfan Pathan became the second India bowler after Harbhajan Singh to claim a Test hat-trick.
India, however, ended up losing that Test match by 341 runs as Pakistan made a stunning recovery to take the series 1-0 but Indian fans fondly remember that Karachi Test for Irfan Pathan’s hat-trick.
The all-rounder decided to hang his boots in January 2020 after representing India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is and pick up 100, 173 and 28 wickets respectively. His numbers with the bat in hand were not bad either. Pathan scored 1105 runs in Tests, 1544 in ODIs and 172 runs in T20Is.
Pathan was also the man of the match in 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan which India won in Johannesburg, South Africa.
