Stats: Keshav Maharaj became the 2nd South African to take hat-trick in Test matches
The left-arm spinner from South Africa, Keshav Maharaj became
the 2nd South African to take a hat-trick in Test matches. He
achieved this remarkable feat during the 4th morning of the 2nd
Test match against West Indies played at ST Lucia, Gros Islet on Monday.
After setting a huge target of 324 runs in the 2nd
innings, West Indies began the fourth day at 15 for 0, the hosts lost 2 early
wickets of Kraigg Braithwaite and Shai Hope. Kyle Mayers and Kieron Powell
steadied the ship adding 64 runs for the 3rd wicket. With West
Indies looking in a decent position, Maharaj produced a magical spell getting
wickets of Powell for a well-made half-century, Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva off
successive deliveries to achieve this amazing feat. Wiaan Mulder took a
remarkable catch to dismiss Da Silva at leg slip and left West Indies in dire trouble
at 109 for 6.
Keshav Maharaj grabbed 3 wickets in no time and put South
Africa in a commanding position to whitewash the Test series at 2-0. Kagiso
Rabada also took the first 3 wickets for South Africa. It was an amazing
performance by Maharaj who took 2 wickets in the first innings also. By the
virtue of this hattrick, South Africa showed great domination by winning 1st
match easily. Under the captaincy of new captain Dean Elgar, the visitors played superb
cricket and kept West Indies under pressure every time.
Maharaj showed great character troubling the West Indies
batsmen. He has played so far 35 Test matches with 122 wickets (63 innings)
with career-best figures of 9/129. So far, the spinner took 6 five-wicket
hauls and only once 10 wicket hauls in a match.
Before this match, Geoff Goffin registered the first
hattrick by a South African in Test matches. He achieved a remarkable feat on 24th
June 1960 at Lords, London. During that innings, Goffin took wickets, MK Smith,
Peter Walker and Fred Trueman.
Keshav Maharaj became the 2nd South African to take-hattrick in Test matches
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