Hazlewood back to his miserly best
The incessant Glenn McGrath comparisons must grow tiresome for Josh Hazlewood.
But there are many good reasons Hazlewood has been regularly likened to Australia's most famous miserly metronome.
The recent ODI tri-series clash in Guyana delivered yet another.
Prior to a calamitous batting collapse that led to a 47-run loss to South Africa, Hazlewood was at his stingy best.
The 25-year-old finished with a haul of 2-20 from his 10 overs, having delivered 47 dot balls.
Not since McGrath in 2005 has an Australian opening bowler recorded such economical figures.
"On that wicket it was very slow and low and tough to score on if you do bowl stump to stump, hit the right length ... set the right fields," Hazlewood said.
"It can be pretty simple but sometimes hard to execute.
"Obviously different to the Australian wickets we play on but you've got to adapt ... international cricket is about playing all over the world."
Hazlewood's spells were all the more impressive given he was short of match practice, having sat out the Indian Premier League.
"There's a little bit of rust there, as to be expected," Hazlewood said.
"We've obviously had that little bit of a break from international cricket but we've been training now for a month or month and a half.
"The body feels pretty good ... the ball feels like it's coming out pretty well.
"Still plenty of improvement but yeah it's a good start."
The tri-series now shifts to St Kitts, where Australia faces South Africa at 3am AEST on Sunday.
Hazlewood expected dangerous dynamos AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock would aim to attack him more at Warner Park.
"I think so," Hazlewood said.
"I haven't been to St Kitts but I've heard the outfield is small.
"But if the wicket's going to be similar it is going to be hard to score."
Australia posted monster totals of 5-358 and 6-377 at the venue during their successful 2007 World Cup campaign.
Hazlewood, who finished 11 not out as Australia fell nine runs short of denying South Africa a bonus point in Guyana, was disappointed about the heavy defeat.
"We were thoroughly outplayed," he said.
