Tushar Deshpande takes hat-trick in his 50th First-Class match: Stats
What's the story
Mumbai's fast bowler Tushar Deshpande celebrated his 50th First-Class match with a stunning performance against Chandigarh in the Ranji Trophy affair at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. The pacer took a hat-trick and finished with five wickets for just 17 runs in seven overs after tea. His spell helped bundle Chandigarh out for just 78 runs, putting them in a follow-on against Mumbai's mammoth score of 429.
Bowling brilliance
Deshpande's hat-trick and all-round show
Deshpande's hat-trick came as he dismissed Arjun Azad, Shivam Bhambri, and Dipender Kush in consecutive deliveries.
The 30-year-old pacer also contributed with the bat earlier in the day, scoring 44 runs.
Despite being snubbed for India A's upcoming New Zealand tour after an impressive outing against Australia A last month, Deshpande remained focused on his performance rather than selection.
Performance over selection
'Chasing performance, not selection'
"I thought about it for a day, but I have always said that I want to chase performance, not selection," Deshpande said after his stellar performance.
He was also cautious of the conditions and focused on bowling in the right areas.
His efforts helped Mumbai enforce the follow-on on Chandigarh, who were left reeling at 0/1 after Deshpande's second spell.
Historic achievement
Sixth Mumbai bowler with 1st-class hat-trick
Deshpande's hat-trick made him the sixth Mumbai bowler to achieve this feat in First-Class cricket.
He joined the likes of Jahangir Khot, Umesh Kulkarni, Abdul Ismail, Royston Dias, and Shardul Thakur.
The pacer took just 20 balls to complete his sixth five-wicket haul when he trapped Chandigarh all-rounder Raj Angad Bawa lbw for a four-ball duck.
Information
Sixth fifer in the format
As per Cricinfo, Deshpande has now raced to 139 wickets across 84 FC innings at an average of around 28. This includes six five-wicket hauls and as many four-fers. The pacer has also played two T20Is for India, both against Zimbabwe in 2024.