Hazlewood hits up Kiwis for Test tips

In the spirit of trans-Tasman friendship, Josh Hazlewood took the opportunity to glean some intelligence from his New Zealand counterparts to help him formulate a plan of attack for Pakistan’s batters in the upcoming Test.

Hazlewood, who needs six wickets to reach 100 in a Test career that began in Brisbane two years ago, is yet to come up against Pakistan in the game’s elite format.

Indeed, the 25-year-old has encountered Pakistan just twice in international cricket – an ODI at Adelaide Oval during last year’s ICC World Cup and a fixture in the T20 equivalent tournament at Mohali in India earlier this year.

In an era when almost every international match across the formats is televised throughout the globe, there are few secrets about the strengths and weaknesses, foibles and fallibilities of top-level cricketers.

But Hazlewood revealed today that he does not rely too intently on videotape of his foes, preferring instead to tap into the knowledge of his fellow fast bowlers from within his own team and even extending to his contemporaries from other countries.

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Which is what he did at the conclusion of the recent Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI Series against New Zealand, where Pakistan played two Tests last month before arriving in Australia for their three-Test tour that begins at the Gabba on Thursday.

And the key message he gained from Black Caps’ quicks Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Matt Henry was to exercise patience rather than try and blast out the visitors on pitches that offer much greater pace and bounce than the Pakistanis are accustomed to.

“They (the Kiwis) gave a little bit away, but not too much,” Hazlewood said today.

“Even though the wickets were very green over there, patience was the one thing that got them the wickets.

“Just the conditions they (Pakistan) are not used to, the pace and the bounce.

“And even though the New Zealand wickets aren’t as quick as here, there was still that seam movement, which they’re not used to. 

“We’ll look to exploit that.”

Perhaps even more important for Hazlewood in formulating plans against rival batters is the assessments he makes after delivering just a couple of balls to each new rival.

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The seamer, who is on track to reach the 100-wicket milestone in fewer matches than legendary Australia quicks Ray Lindwall, Brett Lee and his new-ball partner Mitchell Starc, showed the value of that method during the recent Test series against South Africa.

Where he claimed the wicket of former Proteas skipper Hashim Amla five times in as many innings.

Hazlewood said today that in addition to engaging in a spirited battle with Amla on the field, he spoke with him at length after the final Test in Adelaide where the South African indicated he placed great faith in the study of video footage.

And after doing so, looked to improvise on his technique if some elements weren’t working – a fact that Hazlewood identified and acted upon during the Adelaide Test where Amla had modified his game to try and nullify the Australian’s hold over him.

“I could just see that he changed, he set up a little bit differently,” Hazlewood said of Amla’s approach in that final Test where he had his rival caught behind in both innings.

“He was getting further across outside off (stump), wanting me to follow him and target the stumps a bit more and then he’s a class player off his pads. 

“I just took it a little bit wider and took the stumps out of the equation and he probably could have left a lot more, which he did do early on.

“But then he started playing a couple through impatience, I guess, and I got the result.

“I don’t watch a great deal of footage. 

“I take a lot from the first couple of balls I bowl to each batsman. 

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“I see a lot more in those couple of balls than watching footage. 

“Talking to bowlers who have bowled to the batsmen recently is also good if you can get that opportunity. 

“Putting it all together and coming up with a plan is what you do.”

Hazlewood attributes his returns since his disappointing 2015 Ashes campaign in the UK – he has taken 54 Test wickets at 28.48 since then to be Australia’s second-best bowler in that period behind spinner Nathan Lyon – to greater fitness and strength conditioning.

With the slightly more bowler-friendly conditions experienced in recent Tests at Hobart and Adelaide also cited as a reason why he is currently Australia’s leading first-class wicket-taker with the pink ball across the Test and Sheffield Shield formats.

In addition to the extra grass left on pitches to accommodate the pink ball in day-night Tests, Hazlewood is also looking forward to bowling in the comparative cool of Brisbane’s late afternoon and evening.

Having suffered a serious bout of body cramps that forced him from the field on the first day of his Test career against India at the Gabba in 2014.

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“Over the South African series I felt nice and strong,” Hazlewood said.

“I gained an extra yard (in pace) and I think I’m bowling a heavier ball.

“And now we only have two sessions in the sun rather than three. 

“I think that morning session is probably the hottest up here (in Brisbane) as well, so it’s another good factor for a day-night game up here given the memories of a couple of years ago. 

“I think it’s going to be a little bit easier on the bowlers with the weather that way.”

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