On this day, 40 years ago, on September 20, 1982, the cricketing world witnessed a historic moment that would be etched in the annals of the sport. It was the day when Pakistani pacer Jalal-ud-Din became the first bowler to achieve a hat-trick in one-day internationals (ODIs). This remarkable feat occurred during a thrilling encounter at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad, Pakistan.
The stage was set with Pakistan batting first in the opening match of a three-game series. They posted a competitive total of 229/6 in their allotted 40 overs. Opener Mohsin Khan was the star of the innings, notching up a century, while other batsmen made valuable contributions.
Chasing a competitive target of 230, Australia got off to a solid start. Openers Brian Laird and Graham Wood forged a century-long partnership for the first wicket. However, Pakistan managed to regain control by dismissing Wood, and from that point on, they started picking up wickets at regular intervals.
The turning point in the match came with the courtesy of Jalal-ud-Din. The 23-year-old fast bowler had participated in just one international game before this. Jalal started by dismissing Australian wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh for just one run. On the very next delivery, he had Bruce Yardley caught behind for a duck. The Niaz Stadium erupted as Jalal-ud-Din completed his historic hat-trick by dismantling Geoff Lawson’s off stump. His spell left the Australian batting lineup in shambles.
Jalal-ud-din Celebrated the feast after 24 hours
Jalal-ud-Din’s final figures were an impressive 4/32 in his eight overs. Thanks to his extraordinary bowling performance, Pakistan managed to restrict Australia to a mere 170/9. Pakistan went on to win the match by a convincing margin of 59 runs. Interestingly, despite Jalal-ud-Din’s heroics, the Man of the Match award went to Mohsin Khan for his century.
In an interesting story about this incident, Jalal-ud-din once revealed that Pakistan celebrated his iconic hat-trick 24 hours after the game. According to Jalal, no one knew that he was the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the limited format of the game. After a day when records were checked, it was revealed that Jalal-ud-din was the first man to take a hat-trick in ODIs.