Josh Hazlewood became the ninth Australian bowler to take 300 Test wickets after claiming 6/89 against Bangladesh in the first Test in Darwin. The 35-year-old reached the milestone on day three at Marrara Stadium as Bangladesh were bowled out for 426. He had walked into the match needing five wickets for the landmark and achieved it in his first Test appearance since July last year.
Hazlewood dismissed Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz for his 300th Test wicket before wrapping up the innings with the dismissal of Ebadot Hossain, registering his 14th five-wicket haul and fourth six-wicket performance in Tests. His previous six-wicket haul had come against India in Bengaluru in 2017, when he returned figures of 6/67.
A Hard-Earned Milestone on a Flat Pitch
Hazlewood had to work hard on a pitch offering little assistance and could have struck earlier, but Nathan Lyon dropped Tanzid Hasan during his opening spell, with the batter going on to score 101.
Hazlewood later dismissed Mominul Haque on the second morning to break a key partnership, before removing Najmul Hossain Shanto for 84 with the second new ball. He continued to bowl with discipline in the Darwin heat, dismissing Hasan Mahmud lbw and getting rid of Taijul Islam after extracting extra bounce.
His place in the team wasn’t certain heading into the match, having played just six of Australia’s previous 14 Tests and having missed the last 12 months due to an Achilles injury — an absence that gave Scott Boland a chance to push for a regular spot in the side.
Hazlewood Joins Elite Company
With this milestone, Hazlewood joined Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins in Australia’s 300-wicket club, making them the first four bowlers in Test history to play together after each had taken more than 300 wickets.
Speaking after stumps, Hazlewood reflected on the achievement. “You don’t really think about those sort of milestones when you’re playing,” he told Kayo Sports. “I guess it’s probably something you look back on at the end. But just to see the other names there, and playing alongside three of them it’s pretty cool.”
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Bangladesh’s total of 426 gave them a 228-run lead after Australia had been bowled out for 198 in their first innings.
“They hung in there tough,” Hazlewood added. “It was hard work out there on that track. We stuck it out and didn’t let the runs flow too quickly at the end, but Bangladesh played well and made it tough to get wickets.”