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Hazlewood upstages McGrath with five-wicket haul on debut

Josh Hazlewood and his diamond duck. (Photo: AAP)
18th December, 2014
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As a lanky NSW country boy made good, comparisons with Glenn McGrath were inevitable for Australian quick Josh Hazlewood.

Cricket Australia even got McGrath to present Hazlewood his baggy green before the second Test against India in Brisbane.

But a day after looking more like the fragile Bruce Reid due to severe cramps, Hazlewood has bounced back to achieve something even McGrath couldn’t on Test debut.

Hazlewood was the toast of a Gabba crowd featuring his rowdy family on Thursday when he took 5-68 to reduce India to 408 on day two of the second Test.

At stumps Australia were 4-221.

Hazlewood gained entry to a special club featuring some of Australia’s legendary bowlers – but not 563-Test wicket great McGrath.

Bendemeer-bred Hazlewood became the 33rd Australian to claim a five-wicket haul on Test debut and the first since James Pattinson in 2011.

Hazlewood rated it his best performance yet with the ball.

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“I think so. I obviously started summer very well in limited overs formats but to do it in Test match is something I’ve always dreamed of,” he said.

“I have only played one Shield game this year but the ball felt like it was coming out the best it ever has and to put a performance like that on the board in a Test match if very good for the confidence.”

For the record McGrath snared 2-92 and 1-50 on Test debut against New Zealand in 1993.

“YES!!! …..Great effort by Josh Hazelwood (sic)…5 wickets on debut!! Well done mate, so proud of you!!” McGrath later tweeted.

But instead of McGrath, ex-national captain Ian Chappell found parallels with another Australian fast bowling great.

“Dennis Lillee also took five on debut by swinging the ball around like him,” he told the Nine Network.

“And we all know what career he had.

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“This has been a terrific debut for Hazlewood.”

His vocal family agreed.

“I was doing handstands up in the grandstand!” his father Trevor told Fox Sports.

He may be just 23 but a Test debut against India has been a long time coming for Hazlewood.

He was on the 2010 tour of India but withdrew due to a back stress injury.

But Hazlewood appeared destined for international duty.

He played first grade against men at 15 in Tamworth and became the youngest quick to be picked by NSW at 17.

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In 2010 he made his ODI debut at 19 – one of only three Australians to have debuted so young.

He finally forced the Test selectors’ hand with recent ODI hauls of 5-31 and 3-51 against South Africa.

But his Test debut threatened to go pear-shaped when he broke down with cramp on Wednesday.

“I’d never experienced cramps like that before, he (physio) thought maybe a bit of tension in the morning – being a bit nervous – contributed to that,” Hazlewood said.

“It was pretty painful at the time, but I got out there today and got through it.”

And how – Hazlewood fired as India lost 6-97 in the morning session, handing a previously down and out Australia the momentum.

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