Analysing the historic Hat – Trick’s buld-up, execution and impact in detail considering all aspects and factors!
3 wickets in 3 balls. Rare to see. There have been only 5 hat-tricks ever in the T20 World Cup till date, the first of which happened in the first edition, 3 in the 2021 edition and the 5th one by Karthik Meiyappan of UAE who scripted history by taking the first hat – trick for UAE. A brilliant third delivery to complete the hat – trick so, the Chennai born UAE star castle through the gates of Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka and strike the stumps before having taken two wickets on the previous two balls courtesy a plan, and some catching help from his teammates. It was a historic hat – trick executed well but in a losing cause as much damage had already been done by SL and later UAE tumbled down in the chase.
Sri Lanka have been having a wonderful time out in the middle. They have scored 114 runs at the loss of a mere 2 wickets in 14 overs. They had been restricted a bit in the few overs after the powerplay but where on the accelerator again. Meiyappan has been hit for 14 in his two overs till now. Start Over 15. First ball is a well-run 2 runs followed by a single. A left hander was now on strike having faced just 6 deliveries prior to this in which the aim had been to hit the ball hard. This left hander is part 1 of the hat – trick and goes by the name of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, the guy who has often been involved with building the innings.
WICKET 1 – OVER 14.4
Meiyappan’s aim was to restrict Bhanuka’s ability to cross the boundary with Bhanuka in a mode to hit at as high as a strike rate as he could with his team having several wickets in hand. A simple delivery with a bit of spin and not rushed through but it drew Bhanuka forward towards his off – side to play the shot and that did not allow him to get the required connection. He had to make space to hit it with as much power and with the ball spinning away it only caught the bottom edge of the bat. The idea to have him hit it on the off – side like that was backed by the fielder placement in the deep who took a comfortable catch of a disappointed Bhanuka who would have been better off not slogging it and just pushing it away for a single. The ploy by the leg break bowler against the left hander worked.
Karthik had already used the delivery going away to get the first wicket and now he had the opportunity to challenge the new batter in with some proper spin made more effective since the the eyes would not be settled.
OVER 14.5 – WICKET 2
Meiyappan backed himself to bowl his trusted delivery. The one that turns towards the left – hander’s off – side. And all he had to do was land it at the right length. Just full enough but not in the slot to make it easy to play and that is what he did. The batter wanted to get bat to the ball, but it just turned away and that not only had the batter missing but also this one had actually drawn the batter much forward and off – balance. The wicket – keeper knew the plan and extended himself towards his left to collect the ball easily too fast for the batter to even realize it properly.
The key here was that the ball turned, and the Sri Lankan wanted to his bat to make contact with the ball, exactly why the line slightly wide off the off – stump allowed him to take the wicket as it ensured two things. One, it wasn’t out of the wicket – keeper’s reach even after what was some magnificent wholly visible and sensed spin, and it also was just wide enough to have him get outside the crease. A stumping is even possible on a wide delivery so that wasn’t particularly an issue. The batter deciding to make space and play a slog shot like Bhanuka was going to be a very small probability but even for that the width would have given them a chance to take a wicket.
OVER 14.6 – WICKET 3
Till now it had been two left – handers and the main aim was to not allow them to score off the deliveries as compared to trapping them but now on the tensest delivery, one on which there is about a 96% chance that the batter will simply flat face it down for a dot ball, it was a right hander, and the intention was to get a wicket. The bowler had it in his mind and the captain had it in his mind and the first thing to make all intentions clear and to put more pressure on the batter was to put in a slip fielder close to the wicket – keeper. Even an edge, slightly wide would also be a wicket. This means that the bowler does have the option to even choose to try and turn the ball on the other side or bowl it straighter to get an edge but there was one thing Meiyappan trusted – the spin into the right hander again.
He trusted it, he was bowling at an angle into the batter and the ball spun into the Sri Lankan captain, and there was just enough pace in it that it did not get stuck and allow the batter the time he specifically needed. The captain, at full stretch took just a moment more to get his bat in the front, and that allowed the ball to just barge through the gate or rather the gap between the bat and the pad and then follow a straight line into the stumps. A 78 KPH delivery, slower than the previous one had the Sri Lankan captain Shanaka out on his first delivery as the third and final victim of the hat – trick.
Meiyappan ofcourse got his 4th over to bowl as well given that Sri Lanka were now 6 wickets down with a wicket taken by Aayan Khan in the over just after as well. Meiyappan came to bowl, consistent on a good length and varying his line just as per the requirement. Some respect shown to him and then he was disciplined as well. 2 runs off that over and a dropped catching chance on the final ball, which could have earned him another wicket which could be his 4th one of the match. And that is how Meiyappan ended a 4 overs spell of 19 runs for 3 wickets, bowling 12 dot balls. His one over had enough impact to get the balance in his favour after a 10 run first over bowled by him. The other two over went for 4 runs and 2 runs respectively. Until the hat – trick, Sri Lanka had scored 117 runs in 14 and a half overs at a run rate of about 8.07 RPO, after that hat – trick, in the remaining 5 overs, SL scored a total of 35 runs at a run rate of 7 RPO.
A first hat – trick not just for Meiyappan but also for the whole UAE team ever in T20I cricket and it will be a special, brilliantly executed one forever to remember.
| HERO HAT – TRICK FOREVER EXECUTED |
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