Hyderabad: Hat-trick is like a cherry on the cake for bowlers. At cricket's biggest ever extravaganza it is important to pick up wickets at regular intervals. When a bowler notches a hat-trick at a crucial juncture of a match it leaves a lasting impression on the game. A hat-trick is not winning matches can't be imagined as history proved that bowlers taking hat-trick mostly finishing on the right side of the result.
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In a marquee cricket event like World Cup, bowlers are pumped up to produce their best to make a mark. There are many instances when bowlers won their teams matches singlehandedly. But, a hat-trick is one important thing that can change the complexion of a match in just three balls that is where some bowlers rise above the rest.
Hat-trick is a magic that can suddenly swing the mood of fans.
Chetan Sharma first to take a hat-trick at World Cup
In the history of Cricket World Cup, nine hat-tricks have been taken till date. Lasith Malinga is the only bowler who has the pleasure of taking two hat-tricks at the World Cup. The most astonishing of the two was his four wickets haul in four successive deliveries in a super-eight clash against South Africa in 2007 World Cup.
Overall, there have been only 46 hat-tricks in ODI cricket. We had to wait till the fourth World Cup for the first one, when Indian pacer Chetan Sharma, who made his ODI debut in late 1983, bowled New Zealand's Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Evan Chatfield in three successive deliveries.
However, there was no sight of a hat-trick in the 1992 and 1996 World Cup. The magic of hat-trick made a return to the fold of World Cup in 1999 when Saqlain Mushtaq bamboozled Zimbabwe's tail-enders in three balls to confirm a semifinal spot for Pakistan.
But, most enthralling World Cup hat-trick came in 2003 Africa World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, when Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas rocked Bangladesh even before they settle in as the left-arm pacer became the first bowler to take wickets off the first three balls of an ODI, against Bangladesh.
Malinga first hat-trick taker to finish on the losing side
No doubt, Vaas' achievement was historic but it was nowhere close to Malinga's effort against South Africa in the Super-Eights clash of 2007 World Cup. Sri Lanka batting first set 210 runs target for the Proteas. Chasing the below-par target, South Africa came close to the victory with four runs required off just 32 balls with five wickets in hand.
Malinga, to everyone's surprise, pulled off a frightening spell that nearly caused an upset, taking four wickets in four balls to reduce South Africa to 207 for 9.
However, No. 9 batsman Robin Peterson saved the Proteas from humiliation as he managed to edge a boundary through the slip cordon. In the process, Malinga became the first hat-trick taker in the history of World Cup to finish on the losing side.
After notching his first in 2007, Malinga bagged another hat-trick in 2011 World Cup against Kenya.
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In the 2015 World Cup, Steven Finn of England joined the leg of Malinga as he became the second hat-trick taker to finish on the losing side. It was the second match of the 11th edition of ICC's biggest quadrennial event. Australia were flying at 342 for 6, with three balls left in their innings, Finn dismissed Brad Haddin, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Johnson, all catches.
Arguably the most important hat-trick of World Cups was taken by part-time spinner JP Duminy. In 2015 World Cup, Duminy became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in a knock-out game that earned South Africa their first win in a World Cup knockout game, against Sri Lanka.
Hat-trick vs minnows: Brett Lee vs Kenya (2003), Kemar Roach vs Netherlands (2011)
