Josh Hazlewood once again proved why he’s one of the most complete fast bowlers in modern cricket. At the MCG on Friday night, he showed that even in the shortest format, discipline, accuracy, and subtle movement can still dominate power-hitting. His performance was a reminder that skill never gets old — truly, Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe continues to work across all conditions and formats.
The Spell That Silenced India
Abhishek Sharma faced just four balls from Hazlewood, and that short battle told the entire story of Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe. The first delivery — short of a length, zipping through with pace and bounce — completely beat Abhishek’s attempted charge. He had tried the same shot earlier against Xavier Bartlett, but Hazlewood’s delivery had that extra bite, that extra class. Same pitch, same length, but a totally different result — the magic of Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe.
Next, Hazlewood went full, angling the ball into the pads. Abhishek managed a single, but it was a struggle — the timing gone, the confidence tested. Each ball seemed to whisper the same message: this isn’t about pace, it’s about precision. It’s about Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe.
When he returned after the powerplay, Hazlewood again tested the top-ranked T20I batter with that perfect back-of-a-length line. One ball swung away and almost found a thin edge; another rose sharply into the ribs. Every delivery was a lesson in patience and control. Abhishek survived — just barely. Others like Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma weren’t so lucky. Against them, Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe worked to perfection.
By the time Hazlewood finished his spell — 3 overs, 3 wickets for 6 runs — India’s top order had been dismantled. It was one of the finest powerplay spells ever seen in T20I cricket. So far this year, Hazlewood has bowled 40 overs in powerplays, taking 18 wickets at an economy of just 7.02. Behind those numbers lies Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe — a mix of length, seam movement, and relentless consistency.
Classic Test Bowling in Colourful Clothing
What makes Hazlewood unique is that he brings the same Test match intensity into white-ball cricket. Whether it’s Perth, Adelaide, or the MCG, Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe never changes. Against Gill, his first over was pure red-ball mastery — the perfect length, sharp lift, and late swing. The delivery that struck Gill on the helmet would have looked at home on the first morning of an Ashes Test.
Then came the masterpiece — the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. After setting him up with a short ball, Hazlewood bowled one that pitched perfectly in his “habitat zone” and just nipped away to take the edge. It was a classic example of Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe — patience, planning, and precision execution.
Even the greats couldn’t help but acknowledge it. The look on Suryakumar’s face said it all — the delivery was simply too good. It’s not every day a batter of his quality is made to look helpless, but that’s the power of Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe.
Throughout the night, while others experimented or chased variations, Hazlewood stuck to what he knows best. He didn’t need yorkers or mystery balls; he just needed the basics done better than anyone else. That’s why, even at 34, he’s arguably the best three-format bowler in the world. And once again, Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe proved that perfection doesn’t require reinvention — only consistency.
As Australia looks ahead to the Ashes, fans would almost wish it started tomorrow. Hazlewood’s control, rhythm, and confidence are peaking at the right time. Just like Virat Kohli between 2016 and 2019 dominated with the bat, Hazlewood now rules all three formats with the ball.
Different conditions, different balls, different opponents — but always the same outcome. That’s Hazlewood’s timeless bowling recipe at work: simple ingredients, executed perfectly, producing world-class results every single time.
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