Josh Hazlewood reached a major milestone in his Test career on Saturday, becoming the ninth Australian bowler to claim 300 wickets in the format during the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin. The Australia quick completed the landmark on his way to a 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, adding his name to an exclusive list that includes Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
Hazlewood's achievement has also created a remarkable first for Australian Test cricket. Australia now have four bowlers in their current playing group who have each taken at least 300 Test wickets. No other Test team has had four such bowlers play together after all of them reached the milestone. The 34-year-old has reached 300 wickets while maintaining an impressive career average of 24.02. Among Australia's nine 300-wicket bowlers, only three have better figures: Glenn McGrath at 21.64, Pat Cummins at 22.21 and Dennis Lillee at 23.92, according to Cricinfo. Hazlewood's latest landmark was accompanied by another standout performance with the ball. He took all four wickets that fell after lunch on the third day and finished with six wickets in Bangladesh's first innings. After removing Mehidy Hasan Miraz to break Bangladesh's stubborn resistance, Hazlewood dismissed Ebadot Hossain to complete both his 300th Test wicket and his 14th five-wicket haul. Bangladesh were eventually dismissed for 426, giving them a commanding 228-run first-innings lead over Australia. The visitors' innings was built around a maiden Test century from Tanzid Hasan, while captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy also contributed half-centuries. Mehidy then showed his value with the lower order, batting for almost 50 overs as Bangladesh stretched their advantage. The strong batting display followed an impressive bowling effort earlier in the match, when Hasan Mahmud claimed six wickets to put Bangladesh in a dominant position. Australia also made life harder for themselves in the field, dropping five catches and allowing Bangladesh's lower order to add valuable runs. The result has left Bangladesh in a commanding position despite arriving in Darwin after a heavy defeat to a Cricket Australia XI in their tour game. For Hazlewood, however, the third day produced a personal milestone that further underlined his standing among Australia's finest Test fast bowlers. His 300th wicket places him alongside some of the country's greatest names, while his 14 five-wicket hauls reflect the consistency he has maintained throughout his Test career.