Kuldeep Hat-Trick Stuns Oz
Kolkata: Kuldeep Yadav has become just the third Indian to take a hat-trick in one-day international cricket, ripping through Australia’s lower order in the second ODI at Eden Gardens.
At the same venue where Harbhajan Singh became the first Indian to take a Test hat-trick in the famous Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001, Kuldeep removed Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins in consecutive deliveries in Australia’s run chase. Wade’s run of low scores with the bat continued when he dragged a wide delivery onto his stumps on two, Agar was trapped in front lbw next ball before Pat Cummins edged a brilliant wrong’un through to MS Dhoni, who took an excellent catch to spark wild celebrations from the healthy home crowd. Speaking on match eve, the confident 22-year-old - who took four wickets against the Aussies on Test debut in March - identified Australia’s lower order as a potential point of weakness. “Obviously, when you get an opener and the No.3 out early then the team is under pressure,” he said of batting stars David Warner and Steve Smith.
“Our plan is to get Warner out early because he is one player that can change the game from any situation.
“Steve Smith is also another player that if he bats until the 35 or 40th over then they put the pressure on the bowling team because they can score big.”
The spinner sprinted off towards backward square leg when the wicket of Cummins fell and was mobbed by his jubilant teammates.
The left-arm wrist spinner is the third Indian to achieve the feat and the first in 26 years, joining Kapil Dev (against Sri Lanka, also at Eden Gardens in 1991) and Chetan Sharma (against New Zealand in Nagpur in 1987).
It’s the first ODI hat-trick at Eden Gardens since Kapil’s effort in 1991.
ODI Fixtures
September 24: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore; September 28: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru; October 1: VCA Stadium, Nagpur.
T20 Fixtures
October 1: JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi;
October 10: Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati;
October 13: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.