New Delhi:
Mohammad Hasnain had set the cricketing world alight with his pace in excess of 150 kmph during the series against Australia. After being dropped from the World Cup, Hasnain was included in the Twenty20 Internationals against Sri Lanka. However, the 19-year-old created history in the match against Sri Lanka at Lahore as he became the youngest player ever to take a Twenty20 International hat-trick. Hasnain became the ninth player and second Pakistan bowler after Faheem Ashraf to take a hat-trick in the shortest format of the game.
While Ashraf had achieved the feat against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi in 2017, Hasnain also achieved the mark against Sri Lanka but it came at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. Pakistan chose to bowl and Danushka Gunathila and Vishwa Fernando gave Sri Lanka a superb start, stitching 84 runs for the opening wicket. Gunathilaka got to his fifty but he fell for 57 but Fernando and Bhanuka Rajapaksa stitched a solid stand.
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In the final ball of the 16th over, Hasnain got rid of Rajapaksa with a yorker for 32. Hasnain came to bowl in the 19th over and immediately on the first ball, he got rid of skipper Dasun Shanaka for 17 as the batsman holed out to lomg on with Umar Akmal taking the catch. History was achieved the next ball when Shehan Jayasuriya holed out to cover and the hat-trick was achieved. Hasnain finished with figures of 4-0-37-3 and Sri Lanka managed 165/5.
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In response, Pakistan were jolted by Nuwan Pradeep and Isuru Udana at the top as they were reduced to 22/3. Iftikhar Ahmed and Sarfaraz Ahmed tried to stage a partnership but Pakistan were facing an uphill task. When Wanindu Hasaranga got rid of Sarfaraz and Iftikhar was run-out, the challenge ended and Pakistan were bowled out for 101, giving Sri Lanka victory by 64 runs. Pradeep and Udana were the stars for Sri Lanka with both bowlers taking three wickets apiece.
The next match will take place on October 7 at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. However, this is not the ideal start for Pakistan, who are the number one ranked Twenty20 International team in the world, in their World T20 preparations.
