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Australia star speedster Josh Hazlewood has given his fitness update during the ongoing second Test match against India. The pacer said that his body is feeling good and hoping to feature in the third Test match of the ongoing five-Test match series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
The second Test match between India and Australia is set to start from December 14 and will take place in Brisbane.
Australia are featuring Scott Boland in the absence of Hazlewood. The speedster is out of action after getting a side strain. He was the pick of the bowlers in the Perth Test. He picked up a four-wicket haul in the first innings where India managed to score just 180 runs.
Speaking to the panel consisting of Australian legend Ricky Ponting and presenter Mel McLaughlin as per a video by 7 Cricket, Hazlewood said, "The body is feeling pretty good. I mean, it has been a long gap between tests. It has given me a few more days to try and recover.
We have ticked off a few boxes this week so far. I have probably got a big one to tick off on day four and bowl a few spells throughout the day and see how it pulls up. So fingers crossed for that day, I think. I had a little one on (a bowling session) one of the main training days out here in the middle just to get loose, just sort of, you know, 70 percent."
"But then sort of ticked some sort of above 80 percent, 90 percent yesterday in the nets. And then we will just sort of keep building from there. I hope so (Playing in Brisbane), the side has been a bit of a niggle for me for a few years of now, we are being cautious. But it is a minor strain. Ticked a few boxes already, few more to tick. Fingers crossed," he concluded.
Coming back to the upcoming clash, India won the toss and elected to bat first. However, none of the batters were able to bat. Except for openers KL Rahul (37 in 64 balls, with six fours) and Shubman Gill (31 in 51 balls, with five fours) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (42 in 54 balls, with three fours and three sixes), nobody could deliver anything special. India was skittled out for 180. For Australia Mitchell Starc was the star performer as he picked up six wickets conceding 48 runs. Skipper Pat Cummins and Scott Boland got two scalps.
While writing this copy India are 37/1, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are playing and Australia are leading by 120 runs.
