On This Day: First-Over Hat-Trick, Pakistan on Their Knees — Irfan Pathan Created History 20 Years Ago

January 29 holds a special place in Indian cricket history — a day remembered with pride, awe, and a touch of disbelief. Exactly 20 years ago, at the National Stadium in Karachi, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan produced one of the most extraordinary moments Test cricket has ever witnessed, scripting history against arch-rivals Pakistan with a sensational first-over hat-trick.

The third Test of the India–Pakistan series began under immense pressure and expectation. What followed in the very first over defied imagination. The opening three deliveries yielded no runs, but the next three balls changed the course of cricketing folklore forever.

With prodigious swing and pinpoint control, Pathan dismantled Pakistan’s top order in dramatic fashion. Salman Butt fell first, undone by late movement. On the very next delivery, Younis Khan was trapped, and moments later, Mohammad Yousuf followed suit. Three wickets in three balls — a hat-trick in the opening over of a Test match.

In that instant, Irfan Pathan became the first bowler in the history of Test cricket to claim a hat-trick in the first over of a match. Pakistan were left shell-shocked at 0 for 3, and soon collapsed further to 39 for 6, as the Indian pacers ran riot.

Kamran Akmal’s Counterattack Turns the Tide

Just when it appeared Pakistan would be bowled out for a double-digit total, wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal mounted a remarkable fightback. Displaying courage and composure under pressure, Akmal launched a counterattack that stunned the Indian bowling unit. He went on to score a brilliant 113 runs, supported ably by Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar down the order.

Akmal’s defiant innings transformed the narrative of the match, lifting Pakistan from the brink of humiliation to a respectable first-innings total of 245 — a recovery that ultimately proved decisive.

From Dream Start to Crushing Defeat

Despite Pathan’s historic spell, India could not capitalise on their dream beginning. Pakistan dominated the remainder of the Test, piling up a massive total in the second innings before bowling India out to secure a comprehensive 341-run victory. The win handed Pakistan a 1–0 series triumph, turning what began as an Indian fairytale into a sobering defeat.

Yet, results could not erase the magic of that opening over. Two decades later, Irfan Pathan’s first-over hat-trick remains one of the rarest and most iconic feats in the game — a moment that continues to echo in the hearts of cricket fans.

India may have lost the match, but Irfan Pathan won immortality.