Watch: When Peter Siddle celebrated his birthday with a hattrick

Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle, who celebrates his 32nd birthday today, gifted himself perhaps the best possible present ever when he lit up the opening day of the first Test of the 2010 Ashes series at Brisbane. Injuries have been a huge part of his career and that particular game was his first after a long time in more than 10 months after recovering from a back stress fracture. Critics pulled out their pens and there was a big discontentment over his selection.

However, Siddle proved everyone wrong by not only picking his career best figures but also giving the Ashes rivalry another opening day to remember. Alastair Cook and Ian Bell had forced Australia to play in the defensive mode. However, Siddle mopped the English middle order in space of just three deliveries to give Australia the edge again.

He began with the all-important wicket of Alastair Cook who had played 168 ball for his patient 67 runs knock. But Siddle lured Cook to nick one behind to the first slip. This was followed by Matt Prior’s inability to cope with fast delivery which saw the bails flying all over the place. The moment of glory came for Siddle came when Stuart Broad defeated by a spearing yorker and was trapped LBW.

It was an electric atmosphere. Siddle was pumped up and the crowd was cheering in high decibels. Australia were again on the top an all the hard yards they put in on the field didn’t go waste. The fast bowler later admitted the hattrick ball was fluke. But, no matter what, it was special.

Even before his hat-trick, Siddle was on fire and had justified the call with the key scalps of Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood. After the hattrick, he snapped Graeme Swann for his sixth wicket and would have made it seven had Brad Haddin not dropped James Anderson.

Watch: When Peter Siddle celebrated his birthday with a hattrick