Need for speed: Richardson finds his rhythm in testing return

Like Brett Lee and countless other fast bowlers before him, Jhye Richardson couldn't help but continually glance up at the electronic scoreboard.

The Australian quick knew the state of the game. Instead, he was looking for the number that would pop up in the corner of the giant Melbourne Cricket Ground screens a few seconds after every delivery.

He was checking how fast he was bowling.

"Every ball," Richardson told cricket.com.au with a grin of the habit that developed during his Test return.

Fast bowling legend Lee, on Sunday inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, would do the same with such regularity it drew a tongue-in-cheek comment from his former captain.

"Ricky Ponting reckons that I had to get physiotherapy (because) every time I bowled a ball I'd look up to see what the speed was," Lee said.

Playing his first Test in four years, Richardson knows his pace is one of his biggest weapons. But he also knows he'll be judged on it.

The Western Australian underwent his third shoulder surgery earlier this year has been careful managed by Cricket Australia to fast track his return to the highest level.

Before officially joining the Test squad ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Richardson bowled at Australia's training sessions in Perth and Adelaide.

In Adelaide, the assistant coaches brought out a handheld speed gun to measure Richardson as he bowled at full throttle. Such a device is an unusual sight at Aussie net sessions but has been a constant feature during Richardson's return to play as a way to get "instant feedback" on one of his key metrics.

On day one of his Test return, Richardson bowled four overs taking 0-8. His speeds in his first over were in the low 130s (kilometres per hour), with a top of 136.2kph in his third.

But the 29-year-old found it "frustrating", as he struggled for rhythm with his run up and bowled into a headwind from the Shane Warne Stand End of the ground, with more senior bowlers Mitch Starc and Scott Boland operating from the preferable Members' End.

"First innings it was tough (for him), running into that wind," Smith said after Australia's four-wicket loss on Saturday. 

"We've got Scotty Boland and Starcy operating at one end, and Nes and Jhye had to do the tough work, probably up the hill, into the wind. Someone's got to do it."

In the second innings, Richardson was better for the run. His first three-over spell included the wicket of Brydon Carse, his first Test wicket in almost 1,500 days.

As England neared their target of 175, he was given a bowl from downwind and took 1-8 from 2.2 overs, including that of England's most prolific, Joe Root.

"At the end there when I managed to get the end with a bit of a better breeze, I felt like I was in a lot better rhythm," Richardson said.

"I was able to pull down a little bit more and my speed jumped up a little bit.

"I was happy to get that spell of bowling under my belt, just to feel what that's like out in the middle again."

His fastest ball was clocked at 141.7kph, a short ball which had England's Jacob Bethell swaying out of the way, with Richardson saying his goal was to be "consistently around that 140(kph) mark".

The two-day Test was a whirlwind for Richardson in more ways than one.

Having received the news of his inclusion in the XI at 9pm on Christmas evening, Richardson switched into travel agent mode as he ensured his parents had a flight from Perth to Melbourne that night.

A few hours later, he was singing the national anthem in front of a record MCG cricket crowd of more than 94,500 fans.

"The Boxing Day Test has been one that I've wanted to tick off for a long time," Richardson said.

Travis Head has been a teammate in all of Richardson's four Tests; two against Sri Lanka in 2019, the Adelaide Ashes Test four years ago and now this week's manic fixture. 

The speed of Richardson's return has impressed Head. His only competitive matches since returning from his latest bout of shoulder surgery have been two four-day matches against England Lions and one BBL match for Perth Scorchers.

"It's been a long road back for him," Head said on Sunday.

"He's come back quickly. He's only played a couple of matches and now he's back and playing the Boxing Day Test match.

"We all know how talented and how skillful he is."

Although Richardson said he'll "feel all nine" of his overs, the tearaway pulled up well and will be hopeful of being selected for back-to-back Tests come the New Year's Test in Sydney.

The Aussies will have an optional training session on January 1, with the match to begin on the fourth.

The speed gun will once again be trained on Richardson's net. But Travis Head won't be at the other end.

"I haven't faced him," Head said. "And I won't be."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs

Fourth Test: England won by four wickets

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (fourth Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue