On this day in 2003: Chaminda Vaas creates history with first three balls of the match

Exactly on this day in 2003, former Sri Lanka fast bowler Chaminda Vaas created history by taking a sensational hat-trick against Bangladesh in 2003 World Cup. While he was not the first bowler to take a hat-trick in ODIs or even in the World Cup, he became the first-ever bowler to take a hat-trick with the first three balls of a match.

One of the greatest ODI bowlers of all time, Vaas was at his devastating best in the game. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, they faced Vaas’ wrath right from ball one. Sri Lanka were expected to dominate the proceedings and win the game but not many would have expected such an easy ride for them against Bangladesh.

The unbelievable beginning

Sri Lanka won the toss and asked Bangladesh to bat first. Hannan Sarkar was to face the first ball of the game and it turned out to be his last too. Vaas pitched his delivery around off-stump which swung in sharply. Sarkar was trying to play an aggressive drive but was beaten by the movement as the ball went on to disturb the timber.

Sarkar was followed by highly-rated Mohammad Ashraful who had scored a hundred against Sri Lanka on Test debut. Ashraful must have been hoping for a similar performance in that game too but Vaas had some other plans. The second delivery of the over had also swung in a bit and was a touch slower as Ashraful lobbed it straight to the bowler.

And as Ehsanul Haque walked in to bat with a hat-trick in sight for Vaas, there was a buzz all around the ground. Sri Lanka had set up an aggressive field for the delivery, placing three slips, a gully and man at forward short-leg. In a matter of a few seconds, Vaas made Ehsanul edge one to the slip cordon where Mahela Jayawardene made no mistake at second slip.

Vaas was not done yet and picked up another wicket on the fifth ball to leave the Tigers reeling at 5 for 4 after the first over. The former Sri Lanka pacer took his fifth victim in the fifth over of the game to reduce the opposition to 25 for five. Later, he accounted for Mashrafe Mortaza too to finish with amazing figures of 9.1-2-25-6.

Bangladesh were all out for a paltry 124. Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu then scored unbeaten fifties to chase down the target with minimal fuss and sealed a thumping ten-wicket win for Sri Lanka.