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December 19, 2020 9:52:18 pm
Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood reacts after taking his 5th wicket on day 3 of the first test match between Australia and India at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia, December 19, 2020. AAP Image/Dave Hunt via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. AUSTRALIA OUT. NEW ZEALAND OUT
It was “over before we knew it”, said Josh Hazlewood after playing a lead role in writing one of Indian cricket’s darkest chapters in its 88 years of existence in top-flight.
The duo of Hazlewood (5/8) and Pat Cummins (4/21) produced a sensational performance as the visitors collapsed to their lowest Test score of 36, paving the way for an eight-wicket win and a 1-0 lead in the series for the home team.
“Probably I can’t put a finger on when but I looked up and it might have been 6/20 and you have (Cheteshwar) Pujara and (Virat) Kohli both out, it was sort of just the tail to come, so around that time you thought something special was going,” said Hazlewood.
The pacer said it was a special day for the Australian team as the script unfolded just the way it wanted.
“We just didn’t let up. It was just one of those days when everything went to plan, we kept putting it in on that spot and the nicks kept coming. It happened so quickly, it was over before we knew it,” he said.
He was all praise for the entire bowling unit and compared the match with the 2019 Headingley Test against England, when the hosts were obliterated in their first innings before Ben Stokes played a special knock of 135 to guide his side home.
“I am not too sure, to be honest. It was pretty similar to may be Leeds, looking back to the Ashes, we got them out for 60-odd but I don’t think we changed a great deal from the first innings, we just bowled a touch fuller and I guess maybe a touch straighter,” said Hazlewood.
“I thought Cummo (Pat Cummins) set the scene beautifully and I sort of just followed suit, but everything got nicked and everything went into the hands, one of those days.”
India had a slight upper hand coming into the match on Saturday as they ended day two with a 62-run lead over Australia.
Hazlewood admitted that even though they were a bit stunned, there was a sense of calmness among the group.
“We’re probably a bit stunned, but probably a bit more stunned when we came off from bowling. The mood didn’t change too much throughout the whole game to be fair. I know we were behind by 50 (53) after the first innings, but there was a calmness amongst us.
“I can probably speak for the bowling group in saying that we thrive on those situations when we’re a little bit behind and it’s up to us to change the momentum of the game, and that’s what we did today,” he said.
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