Hazlewood becomes ninth Australian to take 300 Test wickets

Josh Hazlewood has officially joined Test cricket's elite, becoming the ninth Australian bowler to capture 300 Test wickets. The 35-year-old fast bowler reached the landmark during the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin, capping off a masterclass performance with his 14th career five-wicket haul and finishing with a six-wicket spell. Joining an Elite Brotherhood Hazlewood’s entry into the 300-wicket club places him alongside legendary names in Australian cricket history. What makes this milestone unique is that he joins current teammates Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc in the club—making them the only bowling attack in Test history to feature four players who have each claimed 300 wickets while playing in the same side. His sustained accuracy puts him in rare company. Among all nine Australians to reach the mark, only Glenn McGrath (21.64), Pat Cummins (22.21), and Dennis Lillee (23.92) boast a superior bowling average than Hazlewood’s impressive 24.02. Overcoming Selection Debates and Injury The achievement comes after a frustrating stretch for the veteran seamer. Having featured in just six of Australia’s previous 14 Tests—and spending 12 full months sidelined due to injury—Hazlewood’s place in the starting XI was subject to intense debate, with Scott Boland pressing hard for selection. However, Hazlewood quickly silenced any doubts on a batter-friendly pitch in the Darwin heat: Overcoming Bad Luck: On day one, an early chance off his bowling was dropped by Nathan Lyon, allowing Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan (who was on 0) to survive and build a innings of 101. Breaking Key Partnerships: Hazlewood remained patient, returning on day two to remove Mominul Haque caught behind, followed by a superb delivery from around the wicket to dismiss Najmul Hossain Shanto for 84 with the second new ball. The Milestone Moment: On day three, after removing Hasan Mahmud lbw and forcing Taijul Islam into a leading edge to gully, Hazlewood secured his 300th wicket in his 26th over when Mehidy Hasan Miraz edged behind. Wrapping Up the Innings: He completed his fourth Test six-wicket haul—his first in nine years—by getting Ebadot Hossain caught behind to close out the Bangladesh innings. Reflecting on the achievement, Hazlewood acknowledged the privilege of sharing the milestone alongside his long-time bowling partners: "You don't really think about those sort of milestones when you're playing. I guess it's probably something you look back on at the end. But just to see the other names there, and I'm playing with three of them, so yeah, it's pretty cool."