Birthday special: Josh Hazlewood – Top 3 spells in international cricket
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is one of the most sought-after fast bowlers in the world. The tall cricketer came to the limelight after his impeccable line and length in red-ball cricket drew comparisons with former bowling great Glenn McGrath. However, the right arm quick has developed his game tremendously in the shorter forms of the game as well and has become an irreplaceable asset for the Aussies. On his 32nd birthday, we list some of the most notable performances from the Aussie at the international level.
5/8 against India, 2020
Australia welcomed India for the opening Test match of the series at the Adelaide Oval in 2020. The visitors batted first in the match and were bundled out for 244 runs thanks to the Australian pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins, who shared eight wickets between them. The hosts did not fare well in their first innings either as they were reduced to a modest total of 191 runs. However, what followed in India’s second innings was beyond comprehension as Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins made a mockery of the Indian batting unit, with the former returning with a mind-boggling figure of 5/8 as India were rolled over for just 36 runs.
4/12 against Sri Lanka, 2022
Sydney Cricket Ground hosted the first match of the T20I series between Australia and Sri Lanka in February 2022. The visitors led by Dasun Shanaka opted to field first after winning the toss in the series opener. Australia made a decent start to the match despite losing inspirational skipper Aaron Finch cheaply. The home side were poised for a high score, but a succession of quick wickets in the middle overs restricted them to a total of 149 runs. The Sri Lankan chase got off to a terrible start, losing two of their top 3 batters inside the powerplay. Their misery was compounded as Josh Hazlewood ran through the lower middle order, returning with his best T20I bowling figures of 4/12, restricting the islanders to just 122 runs.
6/52 against New Zealand, 2017
The second match of the Champions Trophy 2017 saw the Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand reignite their famed rivalry in Birmingham. The Kiwis batted first in the match and were threatening to post a daunting total after a strong start by the top order. However, Josh Hazlewood threw a spanner in their hopes, making light work of the middle order and the tail to restrict them to 291 runs, despite Kane Williamson’s combative century. However, the spectators were denied a thrilling contest as rain played spoilsport after the match was abandoned during the second innings.
