The first hat-trick in ODI cricket was taken by Jalal-ud-Din of Pakistan on September 20, 1982, against Australia at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad, Sindh.
Jalal-ud-Din dismissed Rod Marsh, Bruce Yardley and Geoff Lawson with three consecutive deliveries, becoming the first bowler to achieve the feat in men's ODI history. Pakistan won the match by 59 runs.
His achievement came only 11 years after the first ODI was played and established a record that has since been followed by some of the greatest limited-overs bowlers in cricket history.
Who Took the First ODI Hat-Trick?
Jalal-ud-Din took the first hat-trick in ODI cricket.
He achieved the milestone for Pakistan against Australia on September 20, 1982, at Niaz Stadium. His three wickets were:
Rod Marsh
Bruce Yardley
Geoff Lawson
All three wickets fell consecutively, completing the first ODI hat-trick. Jalal-ud-Din finished the match with 4 for 32 from eight overs, while Pakistan won by 59 runs.
One important detail is that this was a 40-over ODI, not a 50-over match. Pakistan scored 229/6 in 40 overs before restricting Australia to 170/9.
Quick Fact: Test cricket's first hat-trick had already been recorded by Australia's Fred Spofforth in 1879. ODI cricket's first came in 1982, with Jalal-ud-Din becoming the format's first hat-trick hero.
The Historic Match: Pakistan vs Australia, 1982
The first ODI hat-trick occurred during Australia's tour of Pakistan in the 1982-83 season.
Australia won the toss and chose to field. Pakistan responded with 229/6 from 40 overs, with Mohsin Khan scoring 104 and Javed Miandad remaining unbeaten on 31.
Australia's chase initially remained competitive. Bill Laird made 44 and Graham Wood scored 52, but Pakistan gradually took control through its bowling attack.
Jalal-ud-Din then produced the decisive passage of play late in Australia's innings.
Jalal-ud-Din's Hat-Trick
The three dismissals came in succession:
Wicket | Batter | Dismissal |
1 | Rod Marsh | Bowled |
2 | Bruce Yardley | Caught by Wasim Bari |
3 | Geoff Lawson | Bowled |
The official scorecard records Marsh, Yardley and Lawson as consecutive victims of Jalal-ud-Din and confirms that he took four wickets in the innings.
Australia eventually finished on 170/9, giving Pakistan a 59-run victory. Jalal-ud-Din's final figures were 4/32 from eight overs.
Who Was Jalal-ud-Din?
Jalal-ud-Din was a Pakistani right-arm medium-fast bowler whose international career was relatively short.
He represented Pakistan in both Tests and ODIs during the early 1980s. His most famous international performance remains the 1982 ODI against Australia, when he recorded the first hat-trick in the format.
Jalal-ud-Din Career Profile
Category | Record |
Country | Pakistan |
Bowling style | Right-arm medium-fast |
Test appearances | 6 |
Test wickets | 5 |
ODI appearances | 8 |
ODI wickets | 14 |
Best ODI bowling | 4/32 |
Famous achievement | First ODI hat-trick |
The 4/32 against Australia was his best ODI bowling performance and included the historic three-wicket sequence.
His playing career did not last long at international level, but the hat-trick gave him a permanent place in ODI history.
What Is an ODI Hat-Trick?
An ODI hat-trick occurs when a bowler dismisses three batters with three consecutive deliveries in the same innings.
The wickets do not necessarily have to come in the same over. For example, a bowler can take a wicket with the final two balls of one over and then return to take another wicket with the first ball of the next over.
The key requirement is that the three dismissals come from three consecutive legal deliveries bowled by the same player.
That makes a hat-trick different from simply taking three wickets in quick succession. There must be no intervening delivery between the three dismissals.
From Jalal-ud-Din to Modern ODI Hat-Tricks
Jalal-ud-Din's 1982 achievement opened the ODI hat-trick record. Since then, several bowlers have produced memorable sequences.
ODI Hat-Trick Milestone | Bowler | Country | Year |
First ODI hat-trick | Jalal-ud-Din | Pakistan | 1982 |
First World Cup hat-trick | Chetan Sharma | India | 1987 |
Two ODI hat-tricks | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 1989, 1990 |
Three ODI hat-tricks | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 2007, 2011, 2011 |
Four wickets in four balls | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 2007 |
Malinga's four-wicket sequence against South Africa in 2007 remains an especially unusual achievement because it extended beyond the conventional three-wicket hat-trick.
Who Was the Second ODI Hat-Trick Bowler?
The second ODI hat-trick was taken by Wasim Akram of Pakistan in 1989 against the West Indies in Sharjah.
Akram later became one of the few bowlers to take multiple ODI hat-tricks, adding another against Australia in 1990.
Which Bowler Has the Most ODI Hat-Tricks?
Lasith Malinga holds the record with three ODI hat-tricks.
He achieved them against:
South Africa in 2007
Kenya in 2011
Australia in 2011
His 2007 performance against South Africa was particularly remarkable because he took four wickets in four consecutive deliveries, extending the sequence beyond a conventional hat-trick.
Who Was the First Indian Bowler to Take an ODI Hat-Trick?
Chetan Sharma was the first Indian bowler to take an ODI hat-trick.
He achieved the feat against New Zealand at the 1987 World Cup in Nagpur, making him the first Indian to enter the ODI hat-trick record.
Final Takeaway
The answer to who took the first hat-trick in ODI cricket is Jalal-ud-Din of Pakistan.
On September 20, 1982, at Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad, he dismissed Rod Marsh, Bruce Yardley and Geoff Lawson in three consecutive deliveries. He finished with 4/32, while Pakistan defeated Australia by 59 runs.
