India had gone into the match with excessive expectations, and Pathan, recognized for his potential to swing the ball each methods, was entrusted with the brand new ball on a pitch that provided some motion.Pakistan’s openers, Salman Butt and Imran Farhat, confronted the daunting activity of navigating by way of Pathan’s probing deliveries. However what unfolded within the subsequent jiffy shocked your complete cricketing world.
The First Wicket: The fourth ball of Pathan’s over was a full-length supply that swung in sharply. Salman Butt, deceived by the motion, acquired an inside edge, and the ball flew straight into the secure palms of Rahul Dravid at first slip.
Irfan Pathan’s Memorable Hat-Trick Towards Pakistan | Pakistan vs India | PCB | MA2A
The Second Wicket: Buoyed by the early success, Pathan ran in with much more vitality for the very subsequent ball. This time, Younis Khan, Pakistan’s seasoned campaigner, walked in. Pathan unleashed an ideal inswinger that caught Younis off guard, trapping him plumb in entrance. Two wickets in two balls – it was magic unfolding.
The Hat-Trick Ball: With the gang shocked and the Indian gamers sensing one thing particular, Pathan ready for the hat-trick ball. Mohammad Yousuf, one other skilled Pakistani batsman, took guard. With ice in his veins, Pathan unleashed one other ripper, a supply that pitched completely in line and jagged again in. Yousuf, utterly outfoxed, was left clueless because the ball sliced by way of the hole and smashed into the stumps. A hat-trick within the very first over of the match!
The scenes that adopted had been electrical. The Indian group erupted in pleasure as Pathan, arms raised in triumph, was swarmed by his teammates. He grew to become solely the second Indian bowler to take a Take a look at hat-trick after Harbhajan Singh, however the first to attain it within the very first over of a match – a file that continues to be one of the distinctive feats in Take a look at cricket.
Regardless of Pakistan’s eventual victory in that Take a look at, Pathan’s hat-trick grew to become one of the iconic moments in India-Pakistan cricket historical past, a testomony to his talent and the magic of the sport’s unpredictable nature.