Happy Birthday Irfan Pathan: 5 Best Bowling Performances by Former India All-rounder

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRFAN PATHAN: Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan celebrates his 39th birthday today, on October 27. Irfan was born in Baroda to a typical middle-class Indian family. Despite his family’s financial setbacks, the bowler’s talent shone through, establishing him as one of the most crucial swingers in Indian Cricket history. Good with both arms, Irfan was no slouch on the cricket pitch who could also turn up for his side with a bat if the situation demanded. In his career, Irfan scalped over 300 wickets for India across the formats. Let’s take a look at some of his most iconic performances for India in his decade-long career.

1. Seven wickets versus Zimbabwe in 2005In India’s Test match against Zimbabwe in 2005, Irfan Pathan produced his best bowling performance, guiding India to a 2-0 series sweep in their tour. In the second Test at Harare, Irfan made quick work of batters including Brendan Taylor, Terry Duffin, Tatenda Taibu and Hamilton Masakadza. He picked up another three scalps towards the end of the innings, contributing massively to India’s 10-wicket win.
2. Fifer against Pakistan 2006Irfan Pathan was a complete bowler in his prime. He could scalp valuable wickets in all the three major formats of the game. One of his remarkable performances came early in his career that saw him scalp five wickets against Pakistan in a Test Match. In the first innings of the match, Irfan dismissed players including Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yusuf at ducks. He went on to add a couple more wickets of Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Akhtar later in the match. Despite his impressive haul, Pakistan were able to seal a 341-run victory in the series.
3. Three wickets versus Pakistan 2007India were the winners of the inaugural T20 World Cup tournament in 2007. The side was led by a young MS Dhoni who spearheaded a bunch of rookies into stardom. In the tournament, Irfan Pathan proved to be an unsung hero for India. Ahead of the final, he managed to pick up seven wickets in the six games that he played. In the final, India were set to take on a hungry Pakistan side. However, Irfan’s three wickets for 16 runs helped India lift their maiden World T20 trophy. He also picked up the Player of the Match award in the final.
4. Fifer against Sri Lanka 2012Irfan Pathan was at his best once again when India toured Sri Lanka in a limited-over series in 2012. It was Irfan’s last international match for the Men in Blue. India had already bagged a 3-1 victory and were looking to finish the series dominantly. That’s when Irfan Pathan displayed his bowling prowess, scalping five wickets in the game. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award as India won the game by 20 runs.
5. Fifer against Zimbabwe in 2005Irfan Pathan showcased his prowess with a cricket ball with his excellent performance against Zimbabwe in the Videocon Triangular Series 2005. The match took place at the Harare Sports Club. After a couple of good innings from MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh towards the end of the first half, India amassed 226 runs. In the second innings, Irfan Pathan went on an absolute tear, dismissing the likes of Brendan Taylor, Stuart Carlisle, Tatenda Taibu, Charles Coventry and Gavin Ewing. His heroics helped India secure a victory by 161 runs.