Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood played a starring role in the team’s dominant win over India in the first ODI of the three-match series. On a spicy wicket at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Hazlewood combined with fellow pacer Mitchell Starc to dismantle the Indian top order, handing the Shubman Gill-led side a crushing defeat.
Hazlewood picked up the key wickets of Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, two of the most dependable batters in the Indian line-up. Speaking after his match-winning performance, Hazlewood urged for a similar pitch to be prepared for the upcoming Ashes series, which is scheduled to begin in November.
“Perth always offers some nice bounce and pace, which has served us well in the past, especially with our bowlers who all offer something different,” Hazlewood was quoted as saying by The Age following the game.
The pitch at the Optus Stadium offered steep and testing bounce, which proved to be highly effective for Australia’s tall fast bowlers. In a stop-start match, India struggled to build any momentum after Starc, Hazlewood, and Nathan Ellis reduced them to just 25 for 3 within the first 10 overs.
“It was a nice start. [My] rhythm felt good off the back of New Zealand. Everything is feeling good at the moment, a nice way to start the build [to the Ashes],” Hazlewood added, reflecting on his performance.
Australia are currently in the early stages of preparation for the Ashes, their marquee Test series against traditional rivals England. The five-match contest is set to be one of the highlights of the international cricket calendar. However, the team is expected to be without their captain Pat Cummins for at least the series opener, as he continues to recover from a lower back injury.
Hazlewood commented on Cummins’ injury, acknowledging the physical toll fast bowling takes over time. He noted that most pace bowlers deal with some level of discomfort during long seasons and that managing these niggles becomes part of the job.
“Every fast bowler has a niggle or two, and after a while, it just becomes part of your routine as a quick,” he said. Hazlewood also spoke confidently about his own fitness and expressed his desire to play the entire Ashes series.
“My body feels great right now. I am very confident of getting through all five [Tests] without any dramas,” he concluded.
The Ashes is set to begin on November 21, with the first Test scheduled to be played in Perth — a venue Hazlewood clearly wouldn’t mind returning to, given his recent success.
