Josh Hazlewood set for Test debut in upcoming series against India

Josh Hazlewood

One of the big positives to have already emerged for Australia in their ongoing 5-match ODI series vs South Africa is the form of Josh Hazlewood.The right-arm pacer, who hasn't had a smooth run in international cricket so far for his country largely due to injuries, impressed one and all with his performance on Sunday when he picked up 5 for 31 in the 2^nd ODI in Perth, albeit in a losing cause.

That performance seems to have caught the selectors’ attention as well, as there are now talks of the 23-year-old even making his Test debut against India in the first Test at Brisbane, starting on December 4. The chances of him featuring in Australia’s final 2 ODIs seem low as he could be asked to go and play for his state side, New South Wales, in a Sheffield Shield game against South Australia to get himself in Test match mode,ahead of the series

As has been the case with many cricketers, Hazlewood is also a product of Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which has produced several stars in the past like Virat Kohli and Tim Southee. He was a part of the Australian team that won the competition in 2010. He became the youngest cricketer to play for Australia later that year, at the age of 19, against England in Southampton.

Plagued by injuries

However, injuries have had a big say in his career and the man from New South Wales hasn't played for Australia as often as he would’ve liked to.

Craig McDermott, Australia’s bowling coach, told ESPN Cricinfo that he got the first glimpse of the right-arm pacer when he saw him in a game at Perth and was instantly impressed by him.

"The first time I saw him was in an under-age carnival in Perth, and he nearly knocked my son Alister's block off for a duck - played one in front of his face and got caught at gully.I said to my wife at the time 'this kid's going to play for Australia,” the Queenslander said.

"A lot of people thought that for a long time, not just me, but he's had body issues and all sorts of things and it wasn't until the Shield final this year in Manuka that he got 6 for 50, his first five-for in Shield cricket. So he's learning how to take wickets. He's a bit of a hit-the-wicket bowler but from the back half of last season he's starting to bowl a lot better lengths,” the 49-year-old added.

Lot of hard work has gone in to make him the bowler that he is today

He was also the youngest cricketer to play for his domestic side New South Wales, having done so at the age of 17. McDermott adds that a lot of effort has gone into making him the fast bowler that he is today and also credits the role played by former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson in his development. The right-armer has already been compared to one of Australia’s greatest fast bowlers of all-time in Glenn McGrath.

"We spent a lot of time working on that last year when he was at the NCC and we went to MRF in Chennai with him and worked hard on getting the ball up and trying to swing it, not just hitting the wicket,” he said.

“He's hitting the crease hard and his run-up's really good so he's running in hard, he's hitting the crease hard, and he's done that [5 for 31] on the best wicket he can possibly have so far this summer."

"If you go through Glenn's dismissals you'll see a lot of lbws and clean bowled wickets.In coaching sessions people will say 'Glenn McGrath this or that' and I say 'well here is where he bowled'. He certainly hit the wicket hard but a lot of the time he got guys out from a fuller zone.

He had a very good bouncer, and he got it through pinning blokes on accuracy and surprising them with a bouncer and just wearing them down by bowling the most immaculate line of anyone in world cricket,” the former right-arm pacer said.

"Josh is very well aware of that and we've talked about it a lot. Henry does as well, he does a great job with his bowlers in NSW. It's just something he's going to have to be very conscious of, as we were with Mitchell Starc in the Test matches against India and so forth, when we get to Perth because you're tall you've got to pitch it up further. That comes with the fear of 'oh no I'm going to get driven more’,” he added.

McDermott was also impressed by the tremendous improvement shown by Hazlewood in the 2^nd ODI after going for 50 runs in his 10 overs and picking up just the solitary wicket in the 1st game.