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Josh Hazlewood is unimpressed with the English players' strategy in the Ashes of 2023. The tourists played well on the opening day of the first Ashes 2023 Test at Edgbaston, says Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
It was a day that, in many ways, encapsulated the 2023 Ashes. It began hanging in the balance. The majority of the entertainment came from England. Australia seems to be about to disappear. Somehow, England managed to hold on till the very end.
So much worse could have happened. Just as their Ashes aspirations appeared to be losing steam without much pushback, England's post-lunch onslaught nearly brought them to parity.
The knives came out when Chris Woakes waved at a short ball just before noon. Before the time of death had been announced, the post-mortem was prepared to begin. After one of England's slowest batting performances during the Bazball era, their aggression came under scrutiny once more. They were responsible for creating their own demise.
The way Jonny Bairstow went down wasn't attractive, but this is where discussions about wickets frequently fall short: the shot was terrible, but it was poor in execution rather than in the choice to play it. Given that it was only a half-volley, it deserved to be scored on.
Australia needs one more strong day of play to make it 3-0 and end the series despite England's superb nighttime session with the ball. However, they are not there because of England's arrogance with the bat; rather, they are there because they have better and more reliable cricketers.
This does not excuse England from responsibility; their pre-series preparation was haphazard. Golf doesn't help you improve your slip-catching, as Ollie Robinson and James Anderson both admitted to being undercooked at Edgbaston.
They have the highest average of any team in the history of the game in Usman Khawaja, who has scored the most runs in the series. Three of their other players are among the top 10 batsmen in the world. In Test cricket, their batter, who is under the most scrutiny, averages 45, but their bowling lineup is so powerful that they can afford to rotate Josh Hazlewood out of the lineup.
On the other side, England is full of athletes who have yet to truly establish themselves. While the other averages 28 in his 37th Test, their top opener is playing in his first complete year of Test cricket. They have a rookie at position three and a man at position seven who has gone 23 tests without passing 60.
After 11 years of Bairstow playing in Tests, they still haven't really figured out how to get the greatest performance out of him. Not to mention the injuries that have afflicted England before and during the series, depriving them of their vice-captain, their primary spinner, and any true speed until the third Test, when the series was on the line.
Hazlewood disagrees with critics who think England had the upper hand at the end of Day 1. He shared his views in a press conference, saying it's crucial to look at the final score.
England got 8 wickets for under 400 runs, which he found impressive, no matter how many overs were bowled (whether 80 or 160). Hazlewood suggested changing the way people think about the game, focusing less on stats like strike rates and economies.
He thought the secret to understanding the Ashes was to pay attention to wickets and the overall score. Hazlewood commended them for taking a methodical approach rather than engaging in rash strokeplay.
Josh Hazlewood's scepticism of the English players' "Bazball" strategy raises concerns about its efficacy against the Australian bowling attack in the context of the Ashes 2023 series. This dynamic gives the competition a fascinating side story.
FAQs
What Are Hazlewood's international career highlights?
Josh Hazlewood excels in Australia's fast bowling, contributing to victories like the 2015 World Cup and Ashes series.
Has there been any Impact of injuries on Hazlewood's career?
Despite injuries, like stress fractures, Hazlewood's resilience and support from Australian cricket have facilitated successful comebacks.
