In a format known for patience, persistence, and sustained pressure, achieving hat-tricks in Test cricket remains one of the rarest feats. Unlike the shorter formats, Test cricket demands strategic planning and subtle variations. That’s why when a bowler manages to dismiss three batters in consecutive deliveries, the achievement is celebrated with awe and reverence.
The long format provides batters with ample time to settle in, making it extraordinarily difficult to strike thrice in as many balls. Each hat-trick in Test cricket is a product of brilliant bowling craft, mental toughness, and sometimes, a bit of luck. From Fred Spofforth’s pioneering effort in 1879 to the most recent magical spells, this list captures the top 10 unforgettable instances where bowlers produced hat-tricks in Test cricket and carved their names into the annals of the game.
10. Nuwan Zoysa (Sri Lanka) – vs Zimbabwe, 1999
Nuwan Zoysa became the first bowler in the history of hat-tricks in Test cricket to achieve the feat with the first three balls of a match. His inswingers rattled the Zimbabwean top-order before they could blink.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuwan Zoysa | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | 1999 | Harare | Grant Flower, Goodwin, Carlisle |
9. Jimmy Matthews (Australia) – vs South Africa, 1912 (Twice in One Match)
Jimmy Matthews’ feat is unmatched in the history of hat-tricks in Test cricket: two hat-tricks in the same Test match! At Manchester in 1912, he decimated the South African batting lineup with two hat-tricks, both involving dismissals of batsmen and a stumping.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-tricks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Matthews | Australia | South Africa | 1912 | Manchester | Ward, Pegler, Sinclair & Shalders, Ward, Smith |
8. Alok Kapali (Bangladesh) – vs Pakistan, 2003
Alok Kapali made headlines by becoming the first Bangladeshi to achieve a hat-trick in Test cricket. Against a dominant Pakistan lineup, his leg-spin foxed the middle-order and provided a moment of pride in Bangladesh’s cricketing journey.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alok Kapali | Bangladesh | Pakistan | 2003 | Peshawar | Youhana, Razzaq, Akhtar |
7. Irfan Pathan (India) – vs Pakistan, 2006
Irfan Pathan scripted one of the most unforgettable hat-tricks in Test cricket, all in the very first over of the match in Karachi. With the new ball swinging prodigiously, he sent Butt, Younis Khan, and Yousuf back to the pavilion in a jiffy.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irfan Pathan | India | Pakistan | 2006 | Karachi | Butt, Younis, Yousuf |
6. Merv Hughes (Australia) – vs West Indies, 1988
Merv Hughes’ hat-trick in Test cricket was spread across three overs, two innings, and two days! He dismissed Greenidge (last ball of the over), then held onto the next day’s final two wickets. His celebration was as fierce as his bowling.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merv Hughes | Australia | West Indies | 1988 | Perth | Greenidge, Marshall, Ambrose |
5. Jasprit Bumrah (India) – vs West Indies, 2019
Jasprit Bumrah, the spearhead of India’s modern bowling attack, recorded a scintillating hat-trick in Test cricket against the West Indies at Kingston. His victims – Bravo, Brooks, and Chase – fell prey to sheer pace and unerring accuracy.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasprit Bumrah | India | West Indies | 2019 | Kingston | Bravo, Brooks, Chase |
4. Peter Siddle (Australia) – vs England, 2010
On his birthday, Peter Siddle gifted himself a moment of immortality by claiming a hat-trick in Test cricket during the 2010 Ashes opener in Brisbane. He dismissed Cook, Prior, and Broad, sending the crowd into raptures and setting the tone for Australia.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Siddle | Australia | England | 2010 | Brisbane | Cook, Prior, Broad |
3. Harbhajan Singh (India) – vs Australia, 2001
In a legendary 2001 Kolkata Test, Harbhajan Singh became the first Indian to take a hat-trick in Test cricket. With Australia in the driver’s seat, Bhajji turned the game on its head, dismissing Ponting, Gilchrist, and Warne in consecutive balls, igniting one of India’s most iconic victories.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbhajan Singh | India | Australia | 2001 | Kolkata | Ponting, Gilchrist, Warne |
2. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – vs Sri Lanka, 1999 (Twice in Same Series)
Wasim Akram stands alone in the pantheon of hat-tricks in Test cricket by taking two in the same series against Sri Lanka. His mastery of reverse swing devastated the Lankan lineup. Both hat-tricks showcased Akram’s uncanny ability to outthink the batters.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue(s) | Wickets in Hat-tricks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasim Akram | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | 1999 | Lahore & Dhaka | Gunawardene, Vaas, Zoysa & Arnold, Vaas, Muralitharan |
1. Fred Spofforth (Australia) – vs England, 1879
Fred Spofforth, nicknamed “The Demon Bowler,” etched his name in history by becoming the first-ever player to take a hat-trick in Test cricket. His victims, Vernon Royle, Francis MacKinnon, and Tom Emmett, fell to a devastating burst of pace and swing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Stats Table
| Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Venue | Wickets in Hat-trick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Spofforth | Australia | England | 1879 | Melbourne | Royle, MacKinnon, Emmett |
READ MORE:
