With the three test series between India and Pakistan still at nil all, following two mind-numbing draws, the third test in Karachi started with an unexpected sensation. Rising star, Irfan Pathan had Pakistan reeling at 3-0 at the end of the first over. In the context of the series, you might think he started with a tight over, restricting Pakistan to just three runs. But no. I score like an Australian (because I am one). That is three wickets for no runs. And what is more, the three wickets fell from consecutive balls – Irfan Pathan took the 35th hat-trick in Test cricket.

To take a hat-trick any time is something to celebrate. In the context of the series, when three wickets in a day might have raised a few eyebrows, three wickets in an over is astonishing. The batsmen fed greedily from the troughs that were the pitches of Lahore and Faisalabad. In the first two tests, 2,791 runs were scored (with a great many hours lost in the first Test) at 77.5 runs per wicket.

I believe that this is the first time a hat-trick has been taken in the first over of a Test match. I recall a few years ago that Sri Lankan lefty, Zoysa took a hat-trick with his first three balls in match against Zimbabwe but that was the second over of the match.

The match progress is that after slumping to 6-39, Pakistan has recovered somewhat to be 7-206 with Kamran Akmal leading the way on 90 not out.