IND vs AUS: Josh Hazlewood Mastering Bounce and Precision to Dominate Batsmen

Hazelwood’s release point is the seventh highest this century. This gives his deliveries extra bounce, with most balls hitting the top half of the bat, often striking the splice. He achieves this effect subtly, with just a few centimetres making a big difference in his performance.

The ball that dismissed Virat Kohli wasn’t a short delivery, but it unexpectedly rose to armpit height outside off stump, hitting the upper half of his bat. This bounce caught Kohli off guard, but it wasn’t a pitch trick. Instead, the extra bounce was a direct result of Hazelwood’s height and unique release point. His bowling action created this subtle yet effective moment, making all the difference.

Hazelwood’s bounce has troubled Kohli before. During their World Cup match at Chepauk, he forced a mishit pull shot when Kohli was on 3, but he was dropped. Later, another pull shot off Hazelwood ended Kohli’s innings, though he had scored 82 more runs. Kohli has been dismissed nine times in 29 innings against Hazelwood.

In 12 Tests in Australia, Hazelwood has taken 44 wickets at an average of 24, proving to be a major threat to India. This morning, he was Australia’s most dangerous bowler, troubling India’s top order with pace, bounce, accuracy and movement away from the batsmen.