Josh Hazlewood Birthday Special: 5/8 vs India & Other Magnificent Performances by Australian Pacer (Watch Videos)

Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood celebrates his 30th birthday on Friday (January 8) and social media is flooded with wishes. Hailing from New South Wales, the right-arm pacer is a cornerstone of Australia's national team across formats. Unlike his contemporaries Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, Hazlewood isn't someone who can set the speed gun on fire, but instead relies upon his line, length, swing and accuracy to torment the batsmen. His simple but effective bowling style has even drawn comparisons with legendary Aussie paceman Glenn McGrath. Although he has a long way to reach McGrath's level, he has indeed managed to impress so far in his career. Is Virat Kohli Josh Hazlewood’s Bunny?

Hazlewood burst onto the scenes in Under-19 World Cup 2010 where he finished as Australia's leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps. Within a few months, he was drafted into the senior team and made his ODI debut. Although he had to wait for four more years to get his second game in national jersey, the pacer didn't look back after the 2013-14 season. He bowled one breathtaking spell after another and guided Aussies to many memorable wins across formats. As the star pacer enters his 30s, let's revisit some of his best bowling performances. Australia Cricket Team Becomes First Sporting Side To Sing Country’s Recently Changed National Anthem.

5/68 Against India in 2014

The right-arm pacer wreaked havoc on his Test debut India in the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy down under. Facing the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, he bowled with hostility in Brisbane and bagged a magnificent five-fer in India's first innings. His brilliance restricted India to 408 runs, which proved crucial as the home team won the game by four wickets.

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5/50 Against West Indies in 2015

Another Hazlewood special was seen in the finals of the Tri-Nation Series in 2015. Defending a total of 270 runs on a decent batting track was certainly not a bread and butter task, but Hazlewood rose to the occasion and bowled an inspired spell. He took wickets at regular intervals and never allowed the Men in Maroon to take the upper hand. The pacer went on to dismiss five batsmen and guided his side to a 58-run win.

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3/66 & 6/70 Against New Zealand in 2015

The third Test of New Zealand's 2015 Tour of Australia was the first-ever Day-Night Test in which Hazlewood become the first bowler to take an international wicket with a pink-ball. The pacer looked in rhythm throughout the match and gave the Black Caps a run for their money. He took three wickets in the first innings and bettered his tally by taking six wickets in the third innings. The visitors couldn't succumb to Hazlewood's pressure and lost the match by three wickets.

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3/92 & 5/48 Against England in 2017

In the third Test of Ashes 2017-18, Hazlewood looked at his prime and played a crucial role in his guiding his side to victory. After scalping three wickets in the match's first innings, the pacer delivered an even lethal spell in the third innings of the game, taking a magnificent five-wicket haul. Dented by the pacer's effort, the visitors were bundled out for 218 runs and eventually lost the match by an innings and 41 runs.

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5/8 vs India in 2020

Australia were under the pump after in the recently-concluded Day-Night Test match with India taking a crucial 53-run lead in the first innings. However, Hazlewood put up a spectacular show on the third day as history was created at the Adelaide Oval. The pacer took a five-wicket haul inside five overs as India were restricted to 36 in the second innings – their lowest ever Test score. Subsequently, Australia went on to win the game by eight wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

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Hazlewood will indeed take the field on his birthday with India and Australia competing in the third Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. With the scorecard reading 166/2, the Aussies were on the driver's seat at stumps on Day 1, and they'll like to post a mammoth score. On the other hand, Ajinkya Rahane's men will look for quick wickets to come back in the contest.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2021 08:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).