On this day, Irfan Pathan became second Indian to take Test hat-trick

It was on January 29, 2006, that pacer Irfan Pathan became just the second Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in the longest format of the game.

He achieved the feat against Pakistan in the third Test of the three-match series. Pathan dismissed Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf in the very first over of the Test to record a hat-trick. This feat of Pathan is remembered by every cricketing fan.

As of now, there are just three Indians who have taken a Test hat-trick. Harbhajan Singh and Jasprit Bumrah are the others who have done it as well.

Pathan had announced his retirement from all forms of the game on January 4.

 

The 35-year-old had played a key role in the final of the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup against Pakistan in 2007. He picked up three wickets and returned with figures of 3-16 in his four overs and was named Player of the Match.

The left-arm pacer featured in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is for India, bagging 301 wickets across all formats. He also managed to score 2,821 runs with a single hundred and 11 half-centuries.

He last played a match for India in 2012 against Sri Lanka.

Pathan is currently performing the role of mentor-cum-coach for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team.