Josh Hazlewood Provides Fitness Update Ahead of WTC Final 2023 against India
Hazlewood likely to be fit for WTC final [AP Photos]
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has expressed confidence in playing against India in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 starting next month after recovering from side soreness, that cut short his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Hazlewood played just three IPL matches for RCB this season, before leaving the competition early as a precaution with Australia's jam-packed season ahead.
The lanky bowler has been facing injury concerns this year, after missing Australia's tour of India due to an Achilles problem. Currently, in England, Hazlewood has been light bowling in the nets in Australia's first training session on Tuesday.
Speaking to ICC, Hazlewood confirmed that he is near full fitness but will need to churn out more overs before being declared fit for WTC Final starting next Wednesday.
Here's what Hazlewood said
"My fitness is pretty good. It is just a matter of ticking off every session from here until that date basically. In T20 you are bowling a lot of various different balls every over. A wide yorker to a bouncer to a slower ball, and [the side] just got jammed up a little bit and a bit of scar tissue from previous injuries flared up.
It calmed down pretty quickly. I had a week off, I didn't quite get back to going 100 percent at [the] IPL, but the last few bowls have been good and I have been building up nicely."
The decision for Australia will be between Hazlewood and Scott Boland as the preferred third seamer, with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc being the leading duo of the attack.
The WTC Final will be followed by The Ashes 2023, which begins June 16, with Australia defending the urn, having won the 2021-22 series Down Under.
.jpg "Rohit Sharma is back in the nets!")
 "Vishal Mehra")
