Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has refused to blame Australia’s precarious position in the first Test in Darwin on their decision to bat first, insisting it was the “right choice” at the time.
Bangladesh made the most of the friendliest bowling conditions on day one to bowl Australia out for 198.
The visitors then made hay as the wicket flattened out to post 426 in their first innings before the hosts made a better fist of batting the second time around to be 4-161 at stumps on Saturday’s day three.
After toiling for 28 overs to take 6-89, including his 300th Test wicket, Hazlewood offered a paceman’s opinion on fellow quick and captain Pat Cummins’ decision to bat first.
“Hindsight is wonderful but I tend to not look at wickets too much,” Hazlewood said.
“I leave it up to whoever is making the decisions. I honestly think people get cricket wickets wrong more than they get them right — but you tend to bat first.”
Australia did bat poorly in the first innings and with more application could have fought harder to cash in on day two.
In Hazlewood’s view “the wicket looked decent”, unlike some of the controversial bowler-friendly pitches of recent Australian summers.
Marrara Stadium has a drop-in split pitch but it has proved a good cricket wicket.
“It wasn’t a raging green seamer. I still think ‘runs on the board and put the pressure on’,” Hazlewood said.
“Drop-in wickets can be a little bit different. You can think it is still going to be a decent wicket on days four and five. Adelaide is still pretty good day and four and five.
“Darwin is not your traditional ‘win the toss and bat’ but it was still discussed. I still think it was the right choice at the time.”
Bangladeshi’s seamers, led by Hasan Mahmud who took 6-55, bowled in the right areas and stuck to their plans.
“I think they have bowled very well to the conditions and got the most out of the wicket on day one,” Hazlewood said.
“They bowled a nice full length and the ball seamed around for a bit longer on day one that it has since.”
Australia did tighten their own bowling late on day two and then again on Saturday after letting Bangladesh score freely early.
They haven’t seen much of their opponents in Test cricket. For instance, Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan, who made a classy 101, is a white-ball regular but is playing in just his second Test match.
“We probably got better the more we went on, against batters we don’t tend to come up against that often,” Hazlewood said.
“There is not much footage of them in these type of conditions so it is probably working on the run.
“The communication out there was better in getting it a little bit straighter, wider, fuller or whatever it was. We will keep working on that as the series wears on.”
