Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood added that pacers are their strength and they’ll keep sticking to it regardless of the conditions in the 2023 World Cup as well. His comments came after their defeat to India in their campaign opener on Sunday, October 8, in Chennai. He claimed two wickets in the same over against India, reducing them to 2/3 but with a target of only 200, India won eventually as Virat Kohli and KL Rahul shared a century partnership.
At a post-match presser, Hazlewood, who picked up three wickets, said: “Our quicks are our strength up front as we saw tonight. We might come up against these conditions again at other grounds throughout those (remaining) eight games so it’ll just be about the batting group coming up with the plan (to combat the spin) and sticking to it. We might have to reassess and say ‘yeah, 260 is a good score rather than 300-plus’ to what we’ve seen on a few other grounds.”
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The veteran also denied Australia being short on spin options, stating that Glenn Maxwell is a genuine option in India as well. However, Adam Zampa and Maxwell couldn’t pick up wickets, with Australia desperately needing the spinning duo to do well in the middle. But Zampa gave away 53 runs in his eight wicketless overs.
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“I think Glenn Maxwell is a frontline spinner in particular in India. I don’t feel that we’re short at all,” Josh Hazlewood concluded. “It obviously felt like it probably spun more in the first half. Definitely the dew came in but early in our bowling innings it was doing enough when it was still dry. The dew came in a little bit at the end and the (two) balls got a little bit wet and soft, but I felt like we created enough chances early to make a mark. The wicket was up and down a little bit so you felt in the game as a quick in particular.”
However, Australia next face South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday and they will be hoping to turn their table this time as well.
