When it comes to the greatest seamers in Indian cricket, a number of names come to one's mind. Irfan Pathan is one such name that everyone remembers and would undoubtedly be among the top seamers in Indian cricket.
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From claiming Test hat-trick to winning the Man of the Match in 2007 ICC World T20 final, Pathan has also won many accolades. As he celebrates his 36th birthday, we take a look at some of the records he holds in the sport.
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Fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in Tests and ODIs: Pathan was deadly with his seam in the initial phase of his career, giving the batsmen a hard time to judge his bowling. As a result, he managed to claim wickets in a flurry. Consequently, he became the fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in both ODIs and Tests. He did so in 59 ODIs and 25 Tests, respectively.
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Only bowler to claimed Test hat-trick in the opening over: Pathan had displayed his dominance with the ball in such a lethal manner, that even the top-order batsman had a tough time dealing with him. To date, he remains the only bowler in Test history to claim a hat-trick in the opening over of the match, having done so against Pakistan in 2006, as he claimed 561 in the innings.
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Opening for India with both bat and ball: Ideally, the all-rounders have a tendency to open with both bat and ball in the game, barring Windies' Sunil Narine, who does so despite being a bowler. Nonetheless, Pathan holds an impressive record, as to date, he is the only player for India to open with both bat and ball in the same game across formats. This led him to become an all-rounder at the latter stage of his career.
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First Indian to claim a four-for in T20s: It was during the 2005 English T20 Cup when while playing for Middlesex, Pathan finished with figures of 427, against Essex, in Southgate. It was the first-ever four-wicket haul by an Indian in T20 cricket. Although fellow Indian Nayan Doshi had finished with the same figures on the same day, playing for Surrey, against Kent, the delayed finish to the game allowed Pathan to achieve the feat first.
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Indian, with best T20 bowling figures, while leading: Pathan finished with figures of 513 while leading his domestic side Baroda, against Assam, during the 2015-16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Consequently, he became the fourth Indian to claim a five-for in T20s, while he has the best figures among all.
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