Adelaide, Dec 9 2024-
Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood said the next 24 hours are crucial in deciding his availability for the crunch Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane, starting on December 14.
Hazlewood was ruled out of Australia’s day-night Test in Adelaide, which the hosts’ won by ten wickets to square the five-match series 1-1, due to a side strain. On Monday, Hazlewood had two bowling sessions at Adelaide Oval on Monday, with the Australian team fitness experts gauging if he’s fit enough to play in the third game at The Gabba.
“I think it’ll be how I pull up in the 24 hours following it really. It’s just that repetitive (action) and obviously two spells makes a big difference. 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.
“So a few boxes to tick, but it’s probably the 24 hours that follow and pulling up again the next day and then thinking ‘yeah, I’d be right to go again if I had to’,” said Hazlewood to reporters on Monday.
Hazlewood also explained his latest injury was not a typical side strain, as compared to his past history of this issue. Instead, it’s a part of an existing issue which had left searching for a solution.
“I think if this was the last Test of the summer, I could have potentially run the gauntlet and played (but) 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.
“It’s not necessarily your typical side strain, which I’ve had a couple in my career, (where) you’re running in to bowl and you just grab your hat and you’re off and you’re out for six weeks. It’s not that sort of side strain. It’s from a sort of repetitive use.
“It’s caused me a lot of trouble over the last few years, but (I had a) perfect prep this year, and played the Shield game and ticked all that off. I was very happy (with) where I was and it still happened. So I was pretty annoyed there for a few days.’
“There was plenty of meetings from CA’s point of view (with) physios, (and) doctors, all that stuff. So (we will) come up with a few options and see if we can stop it from happening again. I’ve ticked every box so far this week. The side’s obviously been a troublesome area for me in the past. So if I can lean on the side of caution, I guess (I will) a little bit,” he elaborated.
If Hazlewood is cleared to play the Brisbane Test, the Australian selectors will be forced to choose between him and seamer Scott Boland, who picked figures of 5-105 as his replacement in the Adelaide Test.
“Obviously (we’ve) got Scotty there, who does a fantastic job every time he plays. That sort of makes the decision a little easier. Sometimes you’ve sort of got to be pretty much 100 percent to play. And if not, Scott is there (ready) to go. (It’s) just admiration, he just sticks to his guns.
“He does his job, he doesn’t try and be anyone else. Whether he’s playing for Victoria or Australia, it’s the same thing, it’s the same areas. We’ve seen him take multiple wickets in an over, so once he gets on a roll, it’s just bang, bang, bang. In these conditions, (with the) pink ball under lights, there’s not many better,” said Hazlewood. (Agency)
