Deshpande Hat-Trick Helps Mumbai Bowl Out Chandigarh for 78

Tushar Deshpande took a hat-trick for Mumbai against Chandigarh in the Ranji Trophy on October 12, dismissing three batters in consecutive deliveries and helping bowl the visitors out for 78 in their first innings at Wankhede Stadium. The fast bowler removed Arjun Azad, Shivam Bhambri and Dipender Kush in the 11th over. Azad was caught, Bhambri was bowled and Kush was caught, completing the sequence on consecutive balls. Deshpande finished with five wickets for 17 runs in seven overs. Mumbai had made 429 in its first innings, then enforced the follow-on after dismissing Chandigarh. Deshpande also struck early in the second innings, taking a wicket as Chandigarh were 1 for 1 after one over, according to the match reports. The reports describe Mumbai’s substantial first-innings lead and the follow-on as the immediate outcome of the batting and bowling performances. The hat-trick made Deshpande the sixth Mumbai player reported to have achieved the feat in the Ranji Trophy. The previous five named were Jehangir Khot, Umesh Kulkarni, Abdul Ismail, Royston Dias and Shardul Thakur. Khot was identified as the first Mumbai player to take a Ranji Trophy hat-trick, in the 1943-44 season.