Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Australia pacer Hazlewood relieved at Pujara’s absence from Indian squad

Hazlewood was relieved that Cheteshwar Pujara was missing from the Indian ranks and the pacer said that a bowler really had to earn his wicket.

FILE PHOTO: Josh Hazlewood of Australia celebrates dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara at Perth in 2018. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Josh Hazlewood seemed happy with the pitch on offer here at the Optus Stadium.

“I love playing here in Perth, the wicket is always a nice one to bowl pace on, bouncy, perhaps a few cracks later in the game. The first Test of the summer is always exciting,” the Australian speedster said in the lead-up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series commencing here on Friday.

There is a quiet hunger in the squad to wrest the trophy back as Australia has often emerged second best to India since the 2016-17 series and Hazlewood reiterated that: “There are a lot of guys in the shed who have never beaten India in a Test series. There are only a couple of us from the series we won 2-0 way back in 2014-15. So everyone is really determined.”

The lanky pacer is also relieved that Cheteshwar Pujara is missing from the Indian ranks: “I am pretty happy that Puj [Pujara] isn’t here. He is one that bats time and you really earn his wicket. There are always young fresh guys coming into the Indian team, and whoever they pick in that eleven, they are unbelievable players.”

Hazlewood, however, refused to read too much into India’s 0-3 Test series loss against New Zealand: “Professional players can put those losses on the back burner fairly quickly. I guess being out of India they might be able to relax a bit more and not be under the hype of a home Test. I think they will be hungry and ready to go.”

Asked about plans against Rishabh Pant, Hazlewood replied: “With players like that you have always got Plan A which is the top of off stump, then you have got Plan B and C if things go south and Rishabh gets on a roll.”