The veteran Australian pacer, Josh Hazlewood will not be able to bowl any further in the ongoing Day-night Test against New Zealand due to a hamstring strain and he also seems doubtful for the remaining two matches of the series. As Australia came out to bowl on the final session of Day 2, Hazlewood pulled up short while running up to bowl his ninth delivery of the match and left the field for a medical assessment and did not return for the rest of the day’s play.
Talking about his injury to Fox Cricket, Hazlewood said, “It’s a bit sore this morning. I knew as soon as I did it that there was a tear there. It’s not too bad so we’ll play it by ear for the next couple of weeks. Bowlers know their bodies pretty well these days, we know when something ‘s not quite right. I’ll take the next couple of weeks as they come. It’s a tight series so it will be tough work to get up for the last test. We’ll see how we go.”
Josh Hazlewood has left field for a medical assessment after bowling just 1.2 overs. #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/M2zjUYSYIf
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 13, 2019
After the injury to Hazlewood, the Australian skipper, Tim Paine was seen using Matthew Wade as a part-time medium pacer and he could feature more with the ball for the rest of the match. Hazlewood remains a doubt for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne as well as the New Year’s Test in Sydney that follows shortly after.
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Pacers James Pattinson and Michael Neser are in the Australian squad and they can be the potential replacements for Hazlewood if he deemed unfit for the coming fixtures. New Zealand too suffered a similar blow, with Test debutant Lockie Ferguson ruled out of the match with a calf strain.
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Charged by Marnus Labuschagne’s third consecutive century, Australia went on to score 416 batting first in the day-night Test in Perth. Then, Mitchell Starc ran through New Zealand’s top order, leaving them reeling at 109/5 at the end of day’s play on Day 2.
