In the traditional test format of cricket, achieving a hat-trick represents an extraordinary test of skill, patience, and tactical execution. Unlike shorter iterations of the sport, batsmen in test matches enjoy the luxury of time to build their innings, adapt to the pitch, and play with calculated discipline. Consequently, dismissing three batsmen off consecutive deliveries requires relentless precision and unwavering composure from a bowler.
Right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud carved his name into the record books on 11 October 2026, delivering a spell that shattered Afghanistan’s lower order on the third day of their ongoing Test match at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. By dismissing Ismat Alam, Qais Ahmad, and Zia-ur-Rehman in three successive balls, Hasan became only the third Bangladeshi bowler in history to claim a Test hat-trick. More significantly, he secured his place as the first fast bowler from the nation to achieve the feat, breaking a long-standing pattern dominated by spin.
The history of Bangladeshi Test hat-tricks began more than two decades ago in Peshawar. On 29 August 2003, leg-spinner Alok Kapali announced himself on the international stage by trapping Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria, and Umar Gul in consecutive deliveries against Pakistan. At a time when Bangladesh was still fighting to establish its credentials in the longest format, Kapali’s breakthrough offered a glimpse of the team’s latent bowling talent.
It took more than a decade for another Bangladeshi bowler to replicate that success. On 13 October 2013, off-spinner Sohag Gazi produced a legendary all-round performance against New Zealand in Chattogram. Gazi dismissed Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, and Doug Bracewell off back-to-back deliveries to complete the country’s second Test hat-trick. To compound his monumental effort, Gazi had already scored an unbeaten century earlier in the match, making him the only cricketer in Test history to score a hundred and take a hat-trick in the same match.
Hasan’s performance in Abu Dhabi marks the end of a 13-year wait for a Bangladeshi Test hat-trick and underlines the notable progression of the country’s fast-bowling department. While spinners historically carried the burden of Bangladesh’s bowling attack, modern fast bowling demands dynamic pace, seam movement, consistent discipline, and acute tactical awareness. Hasan demonstrated all these attributes, producing a moment that not only changes the momentum of the ongoing match but also signals a vital shift for fast bowling in the country.
