Mohammed Shami became the second Indian player to take a hat-trick in a Cricket World Cup when he picked three wickets in a row in India's slender win against Afghanistan
Mohammed Shami became the second Indian to take a hat-trick in a Cricket World Cup when his full-length delivery crashed into the leg stump to send Mujeeb Ur Rahman packing against Afghanistan. With the third wicket in a row in India's narrow win against fellow Asian outfit at the ICC Cricket World Cup, Shami had matched Chetan Sharma's feat achieved at the 1987 World Cup.
Sharma, who took the hat-trick against New Zealand in 1987, spoke to BCCI about the moment when Shami joined him in the history books.
"When Mohammad Shami was running in to bowl the hat-trick ball, my heart was telling me it's going to be a hat-trick. I must have jumped at least four feet from where I was sitting after seeing that ball going at 145kmph crash into the leg-stump," Sharma said in the video.
"Both balls hit leg-stump for the hat-trick. And even I was a quick right-arm bowler, like Shami."
WATCH: Chetan Sharma did it in 1987 & @MdShami11 has done it in 2019. Here's Chetan Sharma talking about both hat-tricks 😎👌🗣️ #TeamIndia #CWC19
Watch the video here 👉▶️▶️ https://t.co/YniT8f4qV3 pic.twitter.com/pBNm5DuCGF
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 24, 2019
"Before the hat-trick ball, MS Dhoni said something to Shami, and I knew he was talking to him about the hat-trick. 'Bowl the ball straight, and wicket to wicket.' In 1987 as well, Kapil (Dev) had told me the same thing. Keep the ball wicket to wicket, because the batsman that is walking out to face the hat-trick ball is already nervous. He will only try and prevent the hat-trick, so you have a big chance of succeeding."
Sharma also praised the bowling unit for their sheer pace and positive attitude which has seen India remain unbeaten in the tournament.
"The Indian bowlers are doing very well, and I hope they keep bowling with the same pace and same attitude to win the World Cup and bring it home."
Shami was playing his first match in the World Cup - coming in as a replacement for the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In the nervous final over, Shami had been struck for a boundary on the first ball before taking three straight wickets.
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