March 26, 2018, wasn’t just another day in cricket—it was a landmark moment. On this day, Australia’s pace spearhead Megan Schutt became the first-ever Australian woman to take a T20I hat-trick, leaving India shell-shocked in a tri-series clash in Mumbai. But this wasn’t an ordinary hat-trick. It was a rare, split-over hat-trick, a feat that added an extra layer of drama and suspense.
The moment unfolded across two overs, making it all the more memorable. Schutt struck first when Smriti Mandhana, one of India’s most dependable batters, got an inside edge onto her stumps. The tension in the air thickened as Mithali Raj, the backbone of Indian cricket, nicked one behind. Two wickets in two balls, and the crowd held its breath. Then came the break—the over ended.
But the hat-trick wasn’t done yet. When Schutt returned in the next over, she wasted no time, trapping Deepti Sharma with a mistimed slog, safely caught at mid-off. The hat-trick was complete. In a matter of moments, India slumped to 26 for 3, and Australia took control of the game.
Schutt’s heroics didn’t just put Australia in the driver’s seat; they carved her name in the record books. Australia went on to win the match by 36 runs, but the real talking point was the uniqueness of the hat-trick. While traditional hat-tricks occur within a single over, Schutt’s was spread across two, adding a suspenseful pause that made the achievement even more exhilarating.
A hat-trick is every bowler’s dream, but doing it in this fashion? That’s next-level cricket. It proved that Schutt wasn’t just a fast bowler—she was a game-changer.
This day, six years ago, marked a turning point for Australian women’s cricket. And for Megan Schutt, it was the moment she cemented her place in history with a hat-trick that no one saw coming.
