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Career-best Hazlewood not stewing on break

3 minute read

Josh Hazlewood says a minor tweak to his action has resulted in career-best form as the prospect of a tight turnaround looms large after the fourth Ashes Test.

JOSH HAZLEWOOD
JOSH HAZLEWOOD Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

In career-best form after tweaking his action, Josh Hazlewood is ready and willing to work overtime in Manchester as the prospect of enforced rest in the Ashes finale looms large.

The Old Trafford clash is set to go the distance, meaning there will be a three-day break between the fourth and fifth Tests.

Australia coach Justin Langer, chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns and medicos will review the workloads of Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc before making a call on their availability for the Oval.

The state of the series, currently level at 1-1, will influence the decisions but there will almost certainly be at least one change to the attack.

James Pattinson, rotated out after the third Test, is expected to return.

Hazlewood, who has gone from strength to strength since being recalled at Lord's, and Cummins, who has played all four Tests, have made it clear they want to back up next week.

Hazlewood, speaking after claiming all four wickets to fall at Old Trafford on Friday, only had eyes on England's lower order but backed the tourists' pace depth to come to the fore if required in London.

"It (the short turnaround) doesn't really come into my mind at all, probably due to the fact that we've got three class quicks on the bench," the right-armer said.

"That's one thing that Peter Siddle brought up at the start of the series - just focus on the game at hand.

"Give everything for this game because we know we've got great back-up in the sheds."

England threatened to bat through a rain-hit third day of the fourth Test for the loss of only nightwatchman Craig Overton before Hazlewood snared 3-15 late in the final session.

The right-armer, who claimed a career-best haul of 9-115 in Australia's one-wicket loss in Leeds, suggested his recent spells are "up there" with the best he has ever bowled.

The 28-year-old, who earlier this year was ordered to skip the World Cup and focus on the Ashes as he recovered from a back stress fracture, revealed he made a minor tweak to his action while on the comeback trail.

"It's only a little change but I have worked hard on it since March ... I did some good work at home and reaping the benefits now," he said.

"It's not easy but if I get it in the right line, everything is off stump or just outside it.

"Bowling a lot less deliveries wide of off (stump) and on the pads due to my action ... the body feels fresh."

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