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This was published four months ago

Hazlewood's Sydney chances fade as Smith seeks quondam-school SCG turner

Australia'due south fast bowlers look set to enjoy another grassy pitch during the Sydney Test, but there is a growing likelihood that Josh Hazlewood will not be amongst them.

Recovering from a side strain which has kept him out of the last two Tests, Hazlewood had a limited bowling stint at training on Monday compared to Mitch Starc and Scott Boland, who debuted during the Boxing Twenty-four hour period Test claiming a spectacular vi/seven as Australia retained the Ashes.

The Australian and England teams keep to exist tested daily for COVID-xix in the wake of Travis Head being ruled out of the 4th Test with the virus along with well-nigh of England's back up staff. No farther cases among the playing grouping have emerged.

Steve Smith was unsure of Hazlewood's progress but the big paceman is not pushing himself to rush back.

"I'm non sure how he's pulled upwards or how he's going," Smith said after training at the SCG. "I know the guys [selectors] have a lot of trust in him to make the right decision. He knows his body meliorate than anyone and he's played a lot of cricket now."

Smith'due south assessment of the pitch seems to put an inevitable line through whatsoever chance leg-spinner Mitch Swepson has of making his Test debut.

Josh Hazlewood trains in the SCG Nets on Monday. Credit:Getty

The Australian vice-captain made it clear he wants less grass, not more than.

"If it starts with a lot of grass on it, information technology seems to not pause up that much. If they take all the grass off it has the ability to break upwardly a bit more and the human foot marks come up into play a lot more than," Smith said.

"Looking at this wicket at the moment in that location seems to be a fair corporeality of grass. I dare say it won't accept likewise much spin late in the game, which was the old SCG that we used to see, and I would like to see."

Despite the good cover of grass Smith claimed it was "pretty hard" to say here how it would play.

"At times when they go along the grass on the wicket it does a trivial fleck in the offset hour or then and then seems to flatten out and not suspension up," he said.

"They're trying to brand information technology hard from day one and not quite equally tacky equally it's been previously with the weather around.

"I can't really make a judgement just yet. I'd like a flake more grass off it to be honest. I think our (fast) bowlers will enjoy it a flake more with a bit more than grass perhaps.

"But and so it's a Grab 22. If you go out the grass on it probably doesn't interruption upward as much whereas if you take the grass off the 2d innings probably becomes a bit harder."

With showers forecast throughout the Exam, this is also probable to finish the pitch from condign more spinner-friendly.

Steve Smith addresses the media at the SCG on Monday. Credit:Getty

The concluding thing England'due south beleaguered batsmen demand to another fast bowler friendly surface.

England captain Joe Root claimed the pitches for the first three Tests were more challenging for batsmen than during his previous 2 tours of Australia.

It was a sentiment echoed by Smith, who singled out the Melbourne pitch in item, which has gone from a pitch for boring bat-athons to a grass-covered minefield in four years.

England were bowled out for just 68 in their 2d innings at the MCG to lose the third Test by an innings in picayune more than than three days.

"I've never seen seam movement like that in my life," Smith said. "One of those balls that [Haseeb] Hameed left, information technology came dorsum like an off-spinner. The ball was seaming as far as I've seen on any wicket.

"It was never going to be easy for the batters. In fact, I think mean solar day i was the best time to bat when we sent them in. It was a lilliputian bit slower, in that location probably wasn't as many divots on the grass, so it was a fleck more true. Twenty-four hour period two, twenty-four hours three, it started seaming a lot more than."

Smith has scored just ane Exam century since his amazing 2019 Ashes tour, in Sydney against India a year ago. He'south hoping a return to his home ground will bring similar rewards.

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"I ever love playing at the SCG. It's home for me. Hopefully I can be amongst the runs this week. It's been a little while since I've scored a hundred only I got close in Adelaide (making 93).

"We've played on some pretty bowler friendly wickets during the outset 3 Tests. Plain they haven't been huge scoring games.

"Information technology'southward been tough to become rhythm and get into a groove. Hopefully this week I can spend a lot of time out at that place and score a big one. All the wickets we've played on I've never felt "in" and anyone can bowl a good ball at any time."

Certainly having already retained the Ashes in 12 days of cricket a skillful feeling.

"It's dainty we've wrapped information technology upwardly in 3 (Tests)," Smith said. "It takes the pressure off a bit, but nosotros want to be ruthless and keep winning games of cricket."

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Source: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/hazlewood-s-sydney-chances-fade-as-smith-seeks-old-school-scg-turner-20220103-p59lkk.html

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