Schutt claims rare hat-trick in Mumbai

Megan Schutt has become the first Australian woman to claim a T20I hat-trick after throwing India’s top-order into disarray in the fourth match of the T20I tri-series in Mumbai.

Having set the hosts 187 for victory, Schutt struck the first blow with the fifth ball of the second over of India’s chase when in-form India opener Smriti Mandhana was bowled, the ball ricocheting off her pads and onto the stumps.

Her dismissal brought Mithali Raj to the crease and an identical result followed, the veteran batter chopping on to be bowled for a first-ball duck and leave Schutt on a hat-trick at the start of the next over.

Both deliveries were well wide of the stumps before they were deflected onto the woodwork by the batter, with Schutt sheepishly giggling and putting her head in her hands in mock embarrassment as the wickets tumbled.

Bizarrely, Schutt had to wait longer than expected for her hat-trick ball; Australian captain Meg Lanning elected not to bring Schutt back to bowl the fourth over, instead handing the ball to Delissa Kimmince.

But Schutt returned from the other end to bowl the fifth over and with her first delivery - the hat-trick ball - she enticed a slog from Deepti Sharma, who only succeeded in picking out Amanda-Jade Wellington at mid-off, completing the historic feat and leaving India reeling at 3-26.

It’s the seventh hat-trick taken in women’s T20Is, while Schutt is only the second Australian, male or female, to achieve the feat in T20s alongside Brett Lee, who took a hat-trick against Bangladesh in 2007.  

Schutt is the third Australian woman to take a hat-trick in international cricket, joining Betty Wilson and Rene Farrell, who managed the feat in Test matches.

Commonwealth Bank Tour of India

Australia T20 squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Naomi Stalenberg, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram.

England T20I squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Katie George, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Anya Shrubsole, Bryony Smith, Nat Sciver, Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by 321 runs. Report

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by seven wickets. Report

ODI series

First ODI Australia won by eight wickets. Scorecard

Second ODI Australia won by 60 runs. Scorecard

Third ODI Australia won by 97 runs. Scorecard

T20I tri-series

First T20I Australia defeated India by six wickets. Scorecard

Second T20I England defeated Australia by eight wickets. Scorecard

Third T20I England defeated India by seven wickets. Scorecard

Fourth T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, March 26. Live Coverage

Fifth T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 28. Live Coverage

Sixth T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 29. Live Coverage

Final Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 31. Live Coverage