Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood provided an update over his fitness ahead of the third Test against India, expressing hope to return for the match at Brisbane's iconic Gabba venue. "I think it'll be how I pull up in the 24 hours following it really," Hazlewood said after his stint that was aimed at simulating match conditions. "Obviously two spells makes a big difference. Cooling down pretty much fully and then going again in the same day, and the intensity has got to be right up there as well.
"So a few boxes to tick, but it's probably the 24 hours that follow and pulling up again the next day and then thinking 'yeah, I'd be right to go again if I had to'. "The fast bowler opined that the current injury felt different and that he could have pushed through to play in Adelaide had it been the final Test of the series."It's not necessarily your typical side strain, which I've had a couple in my career," he said. "It's caused me a lot of trouble over the last few years, but perfect prep this year [coming into the Perth Test]. "I played the Shield game and ticked all that off and I was very happy where I was and it still happened, so I was pretty annoyed for a few days.
"If this [Adelaide Test] was the last Test of the summer, I could have potentially run the gauntlet and played. I think I would have been in a pretty bad state by the end of the game, even though it was only a short game but it just wasn't quite right. I'm very well aware of the area, and how the feelings are and what sort of pain it is, and how I can get through sessions, and what that means. I guess that makes my decisions a little bit easier, and I know what I can get through and what I can't and if I'm ready or not. That experience is positive in this regard. "If Hazlewood does return to Australia's playing XI it may mean Scott Boland makes way despite the pacer making a solid contribution in Adelaide and picking up five wickets across the two innings.
