Australia’s Josh Hazlewood Aiming To Play Atleast Three Ashes Tests

New Delhi: Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is looking forward to playing at least three Ashes Tests against England, with Scott Boland having made a tremendous impact in Australia’s thumping 209-run win over India in the final of the World Test Championship at The Oval, taking a total of five wickets in the title clash, including the prized scalp of star batter Virat Kohli, which turned the game in Aussies’ favour.

The Ashes series against England will start from June 16 onwards with the first Test at Edgbaston. In the series, history could repeat itself as the one out of Hazlewood (222 Test wickets at an average of 25.83), Mitchell Starc (310 wickets at an average of 27.64) or Scott Boland (33 wickets at an average of 14.57) will have to miss out on the playing XI for the first Test. Hazlewood himself accepts that playing the entire series would be difficult due to his recent injuries, but he does not want to settle for anything less than three matches, as per ESPNCricinfo.

Hazlewood and Starc did not make it to the starting playing XI four years back which featured James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Pat Cummins. Hazlewood played four games later, taking 20 wickets at an average of 21.85 to help Australia draw the series in England by 2-2 and retain the urn.

“If we go back a few years, I would have said [I expected to play] all six [Tests]. But I guess it is a little bit different now, based on the last two years of history. I think three would be nice pass and four is probably a tick. Any more than that is great. Any less then I am probably a little disappointed again,” said Starc as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

“But I think when you have that depth for each game you [can] really go as hard as you can and then reassess after the game because you always have someone of high quality sitting on the pine and ready to go. So it is a great position to be in for the team,” he added.