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Josh Hazlewood is crucial for Ashes 2025 [Source: @OneCricketApp/X.com]
As the Ashes 2025 looms large, one name continues to dominate conversations in Australian cricket circles, which is Josh Hazlewood. The towering right-arm quick, renowned for his immaculate line and length, faced a big injury scare ahead of the opening Test in Perth.
He left the field during a Sheffield Shield game with hamstring issue. However, an official update was released soon, stating Hazlewood is fit and will feature in Perth Test.
Needless to say, the update comes as a relief for Australia, as one thing beyond doubt is that when Hazlewood is on song, he is England's recurring nightmare.
Josh Hazlewood is England’s recurring nightmare
| Criterion | Stats |
| Matches | 18 |
| Wickets | 76 |
| Average | 25.97 |
| Economy | 3.27 |
| 5-fers | 3 |
| BBI | 5/30 |
| BBM | 9/115 |
(Josh Hazlewood's Ashes stats)
Over the years, Josh Hazlewood has quietly built a reputation as one of the most consistent and intelligent fast bowlers in modern Test cricket.
His numbers against England tell their own tale: 76 wickets in 33 innings at an impressive average of 25.97, with a best of 5 for 30. Those figures are not just statistics; they're proof of his relentless precision, discipline, and unerring control.
In the Ashes arena, where pressure and pride collide, Hazlewood has frequently been Australia's silent assassin, taking wickets at the most significant moments and dismantling English batting line-ups brick by brick.
What makes Hazlewood such a lethal threat to England is his ability to thrive on the smallest margins. Much like Glenn McGrath, to whom he's often compared, Hazlewood doesn't rely on express pace or exaggerated movement.
Instead, he hunts in the corridor of uncertainty, that uncomfortable channel just outside the off-stump where English batters so often falter. His average of under 26 against England establishes him as a bowler who rarely wastes a delivery.
Even when conditions offer little assistance, he finds a way to produce bounce, nip, or just a slight seam to obtain an edge or a mistake.
The relentless art of Josh Hazlewood
Across his Ashes career, Hazlewood's impact has been monumental. He's delivered over 600 overs in 18 Tests against England, maintaining an economy of just 3.27 runs per over.
That level of control has allowed his bowling partners, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, to attack from the other end.
In many ways, Josh Hazlewood is the glue that holds Australia’s pace trio together. When he's fit, the Australian attack feels complete. When he's not, there's a noticeable void in rhythm and pressure.
The 2021-22 Ashes series offered a glimpse of just how crucial he is. Even though injury forced him out after the first Test in Brisbane, Australia's bowling lacked that same clinical precision in the middle matches.
His absence was felt not in raw pace, but in the lack of control and sustained probing that defines the Josh Hazlewood spell, those testing maidens that grind opposition batters into mistakes.
Perth is Hazlewood’s den
| Criterion | Stats |
| Matches | 5 |
| Wickets | 16 |
| Average | 19.62 |
| Economy | 2.24 |
| BBI | 4/29 |
(Josh Hazlewood's Test stats at Optus Stadium, Perth)
At Perth, Hazlewood's return could tilt the balance. The fast and bouncy conditions at the Optus Stadium are tailor-made for his style, steep bounce, seam movement, and the opportunity to exploit England's vulnerabilities against disciplined pace.
So far in 9 innings, he has picked 16 wickets at 19.62 average, 2.24 economy, with the best figure of 4/29.
England's batting lineup, which has often struggled to counter high-quality seam bowling in Australian conditions, will know that facing Josh Hazlewood under lights in Perth could be a nightmare scenario.
Final thought
At 34, Josh Hazlewood has evolved beyond just being a workhorse. He's now a master craftsman, combining experience with technical precision.
His injury worries may have clouded his immediate future, but now that he is ready to take the field in Perth, Australia, he will possess one of their most potent weapons.
For England, his mere presence on the team sheet is enough to spark unease, a reminder that in the Ashes, consistency can be more frightening than raw speed.
Josh Hazlewood might not roar like Starc or celebrate like Cummins, but when it comes to tormenting England, few bowlers whisper destruction as effectively as him.
