Published By: Sanchari Das

On This Day (Aug. 31): Bumrah Joins Elite Club as Only Third Indian to Claim a Test Hat-Trick

On this day, Jasprit Bumrah became the third Indian cricketer to take a Test hat-trick, leading India to a commanding position against the West Indies in the second Test at Kingston. Hanuma Vihari scored his first Test century, while Ishant Sharma posted his maiden Test fifty, helping India reach 416.

Bumrah then ripped through the West Indies batting line-up, taking six wickets, including a hat-trick that dismissed Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, and Roston Chase. Despite leaving the field due to a cramp, Bumrah's performance left the West Indies struggling at 22 for 5, with the hosts still needing 130 runs to avoid the follow-on by stumps.

The hat-trick

Opener John Campbell was Jasprit Bumrah's first wicket, caught at second slip after being troubled by Bumrah's seam movement. Bumrah made history in his fourth over, starting with a wide outswinger to Darren Bravo, followed by a delivery on the middle stump that moved away to catch Bravo's edge, which was also taken at second slip.

 Next, Bumrah bowled Shamarh Brooks with an inswinger that hit the back pad; Brooks' review failed, as ball tracking showed the delivery would have hit the leg stump. This sequence of dismissals marked the beginning of Bumrah's Test hat-trick.


Jasprit Bumrah completed his hat-trick with a delivery to Roston Chase. He bowled a full-length delivery that swung into Chase, hitting him on the front pad. Although the initial LBW appeal was denied, Virat Kohli, standing at second slip, reviewed the decision. 

The review showed three reds, confirming Bumrah's hat-trick and placing him alongside Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan as the Indians with Test hat-tricks. Bumrah followed this by taking a fifth wicket when Kraigg Brathwaite edged a full delivery behind a few overs later.

Jason Holder and Shimron Hetmyer briefly revived the West Indies innings with a 45-run stand for the sixth wicket. However, Mohammad Shami dismissed Hetmyer, ending any chance of Bumrah achieving a record-equalling performance. Bumrah returned for one last spell, taking Holder out with his first delivery as Holder skied a wide ball. By the end of the day, Bumrah's figures were 9.1-3-16-6.

A key partnership

Earlier, Hanuma Vihari scored 111 before being the last Indian batter, helping India reach 416. He and Ishant Sharma added 112 runs for the eighth wicket, dominating the post-lunch session and frustrating the West Indies. 

Jason Holder dismissed Rishabh Pant on the first ball of the day, but Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja steadied the innings. Jadeja fell before lunch with a score of 302 for 7. After lunch, Vihari, starting the day at 42, faced a challenging period but managed to score, with some boundaries off Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach, despite earlier difficulties.

Hanuma Vihari reached his century by taking a sharp single midway through the session, while Ishant Sharma completed his fifty-three overs later. Growing in confidence, Ishant played flowing drives and used his feet effectively against the pacers and debutant offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall. 

The Indian dressing room celebrated Ishant's fifty more enthusiastically than Vihari's century. Vihari achieved his hundred in the 133rd over, signalling his achievement with a punch in the air, and Ishant's sweep to fifty also marked their 100-run stand. 

Despite some nervous moments and close calls with running between the wickets, the pair pushed India past 400, a challenging target after Pant's early dismissal. Part-timer Kraigg Brathwaite eventually dismissed Ishant, and India's innings ended four runs later. The Vihari-Ishant partnership had already put the West Indies under pressure by tea, with seven wickets falling in the final session, severely impacting the hosts.

India secures a series sweep

Chasing a target of 468, the West Indies showed initial resilience but eventually collapsed on the fourth day at Sabina Park. Jasprit Bumrah's key breakthrough after lunch initiated a collapse, reducing West Indies from 159/4 to 180/8 before they were bowled out for 210. This resulted in a 257-run defeat and a 2-0 series sweep for India. 

Notably, Jermaine Blackwood, a concussion substitute for Darren Bravo, became the second-ever concussion substitute in Test cricket. Virat Kohli also surpassed MS Dhoni to become India's most successful Test captain with 28 wins. This victory put India at the World Test Championship table in 2019.