On this day Chetan Sharma scripted history by taking three scalps on consecutive balls becoming the first player to do so in a World Cup. The Kiwis were on their receiving end as Sharma made them surrender with his bowling prowess in Nagpur. India was hosting the cricket World Cup for the first time and the whole nation was in a frenzy.
The overview
India was playing New Zealand for the second time in that tournament. India defeated the Kiwis in their first meeting in Bengaluru. Both sides had arrived in Nagpur a for much-anticipated clash.
The Kiwi captain Jeff Crowe won the toss and elected to bat first. New Zealand got off to a steady start with a 46-run stand for the first wicket. Manoj Prabhakar broke the opening partnership by dismissing Phil Horne as he uprooted the stumps. Martine Crowe along with opener John Wright progressed the innings before Crowe was sent back by Azharuddin.
With few small partnerships, New Zealand reached the score of 182 at the loss of 5 wickets before all hell broke loose.
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The Hat-trick
The Kiwi innings started to disintegrate and the catalyst for the disintegration became Chetan Sharma. First, he dismissed Ken Rutherford who was looking solid. Rutherford was clean bowled out by Sharma with a fantastic delivery as Rutherford went to hit it with power.
The very next ball Ian Smith was humiliated with a Jaffa delivery to split the stumps and blew the bails away. With this Chetan Sharma sent the Nagpur crowd in a state of madness. There was a lot of anticipation for the hat-trick delivery. No one had ever done that on stage as big as the World Cup. Will an Indian be able to do the unthinkable?
Chetan Sharma did not disappoint the cricket fans in Nagpur. Ewen Chatfield was the final prey as he completed his hat trick in front of a crazy Nagpur crowd. Chatfield was also dismissed in the same manner as the other two.
This memorable hat trick will always be a highlight of Chetan Sharma’s legacy and one of the most glorious moments in India’s World Cup history.
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