10 Unforgettable performances that ended in defeats

There have been several individual performances in cricket that have helped teams get the all-important win. However, all of them do not pass the test of time. On the other hand, there have been some rare performances that are etched in the memories of cricket lovers, even if they didn't end up in winning causes.

While we associate certain players from across teams with the tag of 'match winners', sometimes, their individual brilliance is thwarted by the performance of the opposition. If an individual player would have been good enough to win tournaments single-handedly, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar wouldn't have had to wait for 22 years before lifting the World Cup.

On that note, let's go through some of the greatest performances from international cricket that ended in a losing cause for the team.

Here are the 10 best performances that ended in losing cause:

10. Irfan Pathan's hat-trick vs Pakistan (2006)

Baroda pacer Irfan Pathan was the talk of the nation when he burst onto the scene in 2003 against Australia. He had the ability to swing the ball in both directions at a decent pace. India toured Pakistan back in 2006, where they played three Tests in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Karachi.

The first two Tests ended in a draw and the two teams came to Karachi with all to play for. A 21-year-old Pathan was given the new ball on Day 1 of the Test match, after captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to bowl first.

After bowling three dot balls, Pathan pitched the fourth delivery up and it swung away from Salman Butt. The left-handed batter, who offered a defensive stroke, edged the ball through to Dravid at first slip. This opened the floodgates as Pathan dismissed Younis Khan off the very next ball with a trademark inswinger that trapped the right-hander plumb in front of the stumps.

Dark clouds gathered around the stadium and Pakistan's innings turned gloomy in no time. Mohammad Yousuf came to the crease to face the hat-trick ball. The young Indian seamer bowled another inswinger and the ball went through Yousuf's defence to crash onto the stumps. Pathan went on to pick two more wickets and ended with a five-wicket haul.

Irfan was pumped up and so were India with their arch-rivals reeling at 0/3 at the end of the first over. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 245. India had the opportunity to seize the initiative with a huge first innings score.

However, they fell seven runs short of Pakistan's total. The home side was relentless in its second innings as they declared at a mammoth 599/7, setting India an improbable target of 607. The tourists were rolled over for 265, therefore, losing by a mammoth 341 runs.