Second Australian to pick hat-trick in T20I
Ashton Agar who plays a crucial role by picking five wickets in South Africa vs Australia 1st T20I . Spinner Ashton Agar, who became just the second Australian to claim a T20I hat-trick, has revealed that a recent chat with India’s Ravindra Jadeja inspired him. Agar’s was only the second hat-trick by an Australian after Brett Lee took one against Bangladesh in 2007, which was the first-ever in T20Is. Agar took five wicket that includes a hat-trick in the eighth over of South Africa’s chase.
He snared Faf du Plessis, Andile Phehlukwayo, and Dale Steyn off successive balls, as South Africa slipped from 44/4 to 44/7, and eventually fell well short of their 197-run target.
Similarities between them
Both Agar and Jadeja and are similar in nature. Just like Jadeja, Agar is a left-arm spinner who is more than a handy batsman at No.7. Fielding perhaps is the only department where Jadeja will score higher than Agar but the tall Aussie is ready to improve.
“It’s funny, I was actually feeling horrible [coming] into the game. Obviously, when the wicket turns a bit, [the spinners] get a bit of assistance and your job is made a bit easier, you get on a roll and you keep going.”
Agar interacted with Jadeja during Australia’s ODI tour of India earlier this year, picking the brains of the No.3 ranked Test all-rounder in the world after India’s 2-1 series win.
Here’s what it meant to Ashton Agar to pick up an international hat-trick ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HqXUozvEqV
— ICC (@ICC) February 22, 2020
“I had a wonderful chat with Ravindra Jadeja after the India series,” Agar later said. “He’s my favourite player in the world – I want to play cricket like he does.”
“He’s [Jadeja’s] an absolute rockstar: smacks them, gun fielder, and spins the ball. But it’s just his presence when he’s out there, watching his confidence… just talking to him about spin bowling, keep trying to spin the ball.
“When he’s batting he has a really positive attitude, and he takes that attitude into the field as well. So I was pretty inspired by talking to him.”
Having made his debut in 2013, Agar has never nailed down a spot in the side but hopes that the five-wicket haul helps him become a mainstay.
“I think that’s always the biggest challenge … when you’re in and out, just to keep putting yourself out there,” he said. “You have to believe in yourself at the end of the day because you are the only person you have when you’re performing out there. You have your teammates, but only you can perform your true skill.”
ICYMI: Australia dominated South Africa with Ashton Agar taking a hat-trick to run through the middle order, registering their second-biggest win by runs in T20Is.
REPORT 👇 https://t.co/2iAhqNdRgi
— ICC (@ICC) February 21, 2020
