Having missed the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Adelaide due to a side strain, Josh Hazlewood has sparked new injury concerns in a worrying scenes to start Day 4 in Brisbane.
Hazlewood began the day off the field, before being given his first bowl of the day just before the initial drinks break – and it instantly became clear he wasn’t right.
Beginning with a short and wide offering dispatched to the boundary by KL Rahul, Hazlewood’s first-up shocker was described as ‘very unusual’ by Fox Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, while Michael Vaughan was adamant it was a sign not all is well with the 33-year old.
“That’s a ball that we don’t see from Hazlewood,” Vaughan said.
“He’s got a problem. He was off the field at the start of play… you go back to Adelaide, where he missed that Test match with that slight side niggle.
“That for me is a bowler that’s got some kind of issue.”
Hazlewood’s pace reached 130 kilometres per hour just twice for the over, peaking at 132.1 – well below his speeds at full fitness.
“We’ve all seen enough bowlers over the years to know that Hazlewood’s not right,” Vaughan added.
“He’s not running in right, his paces are down – he’s clearly got some kind of issue.”
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin noticed Australia changing their field and lightening the slips cordon in response to Hazlewood’s struggles, furthering concerns.
“If he was 100 per cent fit here – they’ve just taken third slip out into a cover, deep point’s out,” he said.
“Australia have India 5/94. Just not quite sure what’s going to happen, I think here, with Josh Hazlewood with this spell.”
Channel Seven have reported the injury as ‘calf awareness’.
Speaking at the drinks break, Nathan Lyon batted back questions from Vaughan about Hazlewood’s fitness, saying he was ‘not the medical staff or anything like that’.
However, after a consultation with the physio, Hazlewood would leave the field, cutting his spell short after just one over.
The injury concern drastically increases Scott Boland’s chances of returning to the team at his home ground of the MCG, with the Victorian having bowled immaculately as Hazlewood’s replacement in Adelaide.
