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Hazlewood puts hand up for first Test

Towering quick extracts lateral movement on flat pitch in impressive display in Antigua

Josh Hazlewood has put his hand up for selection in the first Test with a standout performance on the first day of Australia's practice match in Antigua.

The dry conditions anticipated in the Caribbean wouldn't normally be expected to favour the tall NSW fast-bowler, whose bounce - especially on Australian pitches - is one of his greatest assets.

Scorecard: Australia v West Indies President's XI

But Hazlewood showed his versatility on the opening day of Australia's three-day game against a West Indies President's XI, picking up 2-26 with six maidens in 15 overs.

And he was unlucky not to add to his tally in the final session, twice finding the inside edge with some late swing only for the ball to somehow evade the stumps and reach the fine leg boundary.

One of the most encouraging aspects of Hazlewood's day was his ability to find lateral movement - with both the old and new ball - on a slow and dry surface devoid of grass.

"Everyone's trying to do their best in a tour game to put their name forward," Hazlewood said.

"As you've seen the wicket's quite flat but it obviously did a little bit with the new ball.

"I thought we bowled pretty well all day, it was quite hard work out there. But we stuck to it and you can see the results.

"It was moving a little bit. I think there will be a bit of reverse swing in the Tests as well with similar conditions.

"We've got to try and get used to it as bowlers and when we're facing it as well. So there's a few things to work on there.

"It was good to have a hit out here in a match situation and with an old ball as well."

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Fawad Ahmed claimed 2-95 // WICB

The make-up of Australia's bowling attack for the first Test in Dominica is yet to be determined, although Fawad Ahmed's two-wicket haul today enhances the possibility of selecting two spinners in conditions that traditionally take turn.

That outcome would likely mean a two-man pace attack would be supported by one or both of medium-pace allrounders Mitchell Marsh and Shane Watson.

Spearhead Mitchell Johnson - who is being rested for this match - is expected to be one of the two frontline pacemen, leaving Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc to battle it out for the remaining spot in the attack.

Siddle took 0-29 from 13 tight overs today while Starc is yet to have a bowl on this tour having only just arrived in the Caribbean from the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

Siddle has spent the past six weeks playing county cricket in England and while Starc has been focused on white-ball cricket since January, Hazlewood has had the close to ideal lead-up to the first of seven Tests over the Australian winter. 

Hazlewood speaks after day on in Antigua

He and Cricket Australia opted to withdraw the fast-bowler from the IPL in early April, with CA General Manager of Team Performance Pat Howard citing the need for the 24-year-old to take advantage of the short break between Australia's World Cup triumph and the start of this tour.

After a period of rest immediately following the World Cup, Hazlewood worked closely for several weeks with Bupa Support Team fast-bowling coach Craig McDermott in Brisbane, using the West Indian Duke ball that will be used during this series.

McDermott says while Hazlewood might have to adjust his approach slightly during this tour, particularly if the ball isn't swinging, his natural assets will still come in handy in the foreign conditions.  

"Josh primarily tries to work the ball through that fourth stump (line), where we always try to concentrate getting the ball through to Hadds," McDermott said on Tuesday.

"But I think we'll have to be a little bit straighter as well. But again it just depends.

"If the ball is actually swinging naturally or reverse you can afford to play with things a bit more.

"Certainly I've been talking to Josh and Mitch Marsh in particular about using the crease and creating angles if the ball's not doing much.

"They're both tall blokes so they're going to get some bounce. We're allowed to bowl two bouncers an over so let's use them."

Hazlewood's opening six-over spell today included three maidens and two wickets, both caught in the slips cordon.

Windies Test hopeful Tyron Theophile was the first to go for just 4, well caught in the gully by Mitch Marsh after Hazlewood had frustrated the opener into playing an expansive drive outside off stump.

Just two runs later Hazlewood had his second when he found the edge of captain Leon Johnson's bat, with Michael Clarke taking a low catch at second slip.

Having got the initial breakthroughs, Hazlewood then kept things tight throughout the rest of the day, with his three-over spell in the middle session conceding just two runs.

And he could well have finished with a bag of four wickets had luck been on his side in the final session, with first Roston Chase and then Jason Mohammad inside-edging the quick to the fence at fine leg.

The second instance came from a hooping inswinger, with Hazlewood getting plenty of late swing back into the right-hander during his second spell of the evening session.