It was an over that encapsulated everything that has made Josh Hazlewood one of the premier fast bowlers of his generation.

Taking the second new ball on a fifth-day Kingsmead pitch showing signs of fatigue, Hazlewood produced a sequence of pure fast-bowling mastery. First, he nipped a delivery past a textbook defensive stroke from Marco Jansen to clip the top of off stump. Three balls later, he uncorked an unplayable lifter from just back of a length, climbing sharply to catch Simon Harmer's glove en route to Alex Carey.

By the time Anrich Nortje miscue-pulled a delivery into the leg side to seal Australia's victory, Hazlewood had career-best figures of 6 for 49.

In the process, he surged past Brett Lee's tally of 310 Test wickets to claim the No. 8 spot on Australia's all-time list, a milestone that means half of Australia's top eight wicket-takers in history are currently playing in the same side.

Exploiting The Durban Deck: Josh Hazlewood

The fifth-day conditions in Durban were tailor-made for the strengths of the fast bowler. A surface that gave good length, with a healthy amount of bounce and a useful helping hand of short deliveries.

“A few cracks and plates were coming up on or around seven or eight meters, so it was just about getting in there and hitting that with a bit of a harder ball. It was things were going to happen. Lucky to get one to shoot and one to jump, so that kept me in there.”

His six-wicket haul was the highlight of a match-winning performance by Hazlewood, as he steered Australia to a famous win in Durban. A top-edged pull from Ryan Rickleton saw Hazlewood peg out the opener on day four before dismantling a dangerous second-wicket stand with a beautifully timed reverse swing to get David Bedingham lbw.

On the final morning, when the Aussies were threatening to make a run chase with Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder scoring nearly 128 in a 26-over partnership, it was none other than Hazlewood who sent the latter back to the hutch, after a leg slip from care. But it was a well-judged leg slip from the previous over that saw Hazlewood dismiss Mulder.

Beyond Consistency – Captain's Dream

While most people have showered praise on Hazlewood for his consistency, Australia's captain Pat Cummins thinks there is more to the pacer.

“He's a superstar. He gets talked about for his consistency, which he's got plenty of, but I think that's underselling him a little bit.

He's got a wonderful skill set with the new ball, but once you get a reversing ball, he's just as good. One thing I love about Joshy and Mitch is that they're both so happy to get out there and do a job for us.

They'll never turn down a turn to bowl. Whatever we need them to do, they'll roll their sleeves up and get on with it. That's a captain's dream.”

Beyond his amazing skill set and his ability to perform under pressure, Hazlewood has been one of the best bowlers in Test cricket in the past two years.

Since 2024, no bowler in the world has taken more wickets while maintaining an average below 14 than Hazlewood.

YEAR AVERAGE 2024 13.60 2026 14.43

While Boland's rise has overshadowed Hazlewood's heroics at times, he remains the first-choice pacer for Cummins.

The Comeback And Legacy Quartet

Hazlewood's exploits in Durban are the latest in a stellar comeback for the pacer, which has seen him overcome a debilitating injury list. But not before missing the last Ashes series. However, a rigorous training regime in Darwin ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh has seen him reap rewards in the form of a six-wicket haul in the most recent match.

The win in Durban also marks a special achievement for Australia's pace bowling quartet. Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon have formed an incredible attack, with each member of the quartet passing the 300-wicket mark in Test cricket. Australia is also the first nation to have a four-man attack with every bowler getting over 300 Test wickets. Hazlewood, who took his 300th Test wicket in Darwin, spoke about the achievement, saying

“It's a pretty bloody special moment if you ask me.”

The veteran spinner Nathan Lyon also added, “There aren't many grounds where you feel like you're taking a walk in the park. I don't want to say too much about the guys, but their record speaks volumes about them.”

It was also a special achievement for opposition captain Temba Bavuma.

“It's a real execution of top-level skills. There's no doubt about the pressure they put us under. There's not a moment where you feel like you can switch off. I don't want to overplay the guys, but their record speaks volumes about them.”

Enjoying The Final Chapters

With a four-day turnaround, the Aussies will look to rotate their attacks for the second test in Cape Town. But considering Cummins is averaging 147 kph, and Hazlewood is running into day five with the same gusto as day one, Australia's pace bowling stockroom remains a treat.

As Mitchell Starc said, “At some point the story's going to end”. But for Cummins, enjoying the ride is the most crucial part.

“We know it's not going to happen forever, and we kind of relish it while it's happening. Seeing Joshy getting consistent games back into him. It's great, it's fun.”