Five famous hat-tricks in international cricket

1. Wasim Akram (Pakistan v/s Australia, Austral-Asia Cup final, Sharjah, 1990)

The 24-year-old left-arm pacer had carved a special place for himself in cricketing history when he took his first ODI hat-trick against the West Indies at Sharjah in the Champions Trophy in 1989. But in the Austral-Asia Cup final, he added another golden chapter to his glittering career.

Australian pacer Carl Rackemann had rocked the Pakistan lineup with a fast and furious display of pace bowling, but Wasim produced a flurry of strokes to lift his side to a competitive total in their allotted 50 overs. His innings contained three massive sixes, two of which came off Simon O’Donnell.

During the chase, Australia settled into a nice rhythm with Boon and Mark Taylor looking ominous as they chipped away at the total. Waqar Younis then broke through with two quick wickets, while leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed wove a web of intrigue around the middle order, taking out three Aussies.However, Akram had been fairly quiet till he was called on to bowl his ninth over.

Ian Healy and Merv Hughes had taken the Australians closer to the target, when Wasim decided to come around the wicket to the latter. The big Australian fast bowler took a wild swing and missed the ball as it crashed into his stumps. Eight down, Australia still hadn’t thrown in the towel.

But the left-arm swing exponent fired in a length delivery that angled into Rackemann and uprooted his stumps, eluding his defensive prod. This would eventually become the ‘Delivery of the Day’.

Finally, with only one more to knock over, Akram sent down a nasty full delivery on Terry Alderman’s leg stump; the batsman had moved away from the stumps to loft the ball into the stands, but couldn’t bring his bat down in time, and the leg stump went for a walk.

In just three deliveries, Australia’s chase lay in tatters as the jubilant Pakistanis went on to lift the trophy they had won four years ago. Fittingly, Akram was chosen Man of the Match for his all-round exploits; he also became the first cricketer to take two hat-tricks in ODI cricket.