Hazlewood builds fitness ahead of looming Test return

If Josh Hazlewood pulls up well following a full session of bowling, the star quick is likely to return for Australia’s third Test against India.

The 33-year-old missed the 10-wicket demolition of India in the day-night Test in Adelaide with a side strain.

But unlike past injuries, which played a role in him featuring in only four Tests between December 2021 and June 2023, this side strain was minor.

Hazlewood bowled two full spells on Adelaide Oval as head coach Andrew McDonald and bowling coach Daniel Vettori watched on Monday, a day after Australia levelled the Border-Gavaskar series 1-1.

“It’ll be how I pull up in the 24 hours following it,” the 278-wicket Test star said.

“(It’s about) cooling down pretty much fully and then going again in the same day, and the intensity has got to be right up there as well.”

Hazlewood admitted having Victoria workhorse Scott Boland patiently waiting in the wings ready to fill in made the decision to rest easier.

In Boland’s first Test since July 2023, the 35-year-old finished with match figures of 5-105, slotting seamlessly back into the pace attack alongside captain Pat Cummins and pink-ball wizard Mitchell Starc.

“I think if this (Adelaide) was the last Test of the summer, I could have potentially ran the gauntlet and played,” Hazlewood said.

“I think I would have been in a pretty bad state by the end of the game – even though it was only a short game, it just wasn’t quite right.

“The side’s obviously been a troublesome area for me in the past … so if I can lean on the side of caution.

“Obviously got Scotty there, who does a fantastic job every time he plays.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be pretty much 100 per cent to play.”

After doing a press conference following a difficult third day for Australia during the first Test in Perth, Hazlewood unwittingly found himself at the centre of discussion about team culture.

With Australia staring at a mammoth defeat following two days of complete Indian domination, Hazlewood admitted he didn’t know how the batters would be approaching the impossible second-innings chase.

“… I’m probably looking mostly towards the next Test and what plans we can do against these (Indian) batters,” he told reporters in Perth on November 24.

The next day, a Fox Cricket panel, led by Australia legend Adam Gilchrist, discussed Hazlewood’s comments, interpreting them as there being a divide in the dressing room.

India great Ravi Shastri believed Australia were showing “mental cracks”, while former England captain Michael Vaughan was “staggered” by what Hazlewood had said.

The entire Australian team were furious at the host broadcaster for questioning the unity of the dressing room over one answer.

“A little bit surprised,” Hazlewood said about the media storm that followed Perth.

“Walking out of that press conference, I thought nothing of it, a normal one for me and, yeah, I was pretty surprised how things ended up.

“But I think the dead air there for a while, 10 days between games, it was something to talk about.”