Aussies to risk Hazlewood for Perth Test

Cricket365
November 14, 2015

Australia captain Steve Smith admits that it would be a risk to play seamer Josh Hazlewood in the second Test against New Zealand but is confident that he will do well.

The second Test of the three-match series gets underway in Perth on Friday and Hazlewood was thought to be doubtful as he had a heavy workload in the first Test, increasing his chances of breaking down at the WACA.

Smith, who led the Aussies to a 208-run win in the first game in Brisbane, said the right-arm seamer's place in the team was discussed, with Peter Siddle on standby to replace him, but they wanted to keep the same side.

Speaking on Thursday, Smith said: "Josh's loads are quite high at the moment – he's bowled quite a lot over the past month or two – so it was definitely spoken about. But we think he's going to do a great job out here in Perth.

"He bowled really well last time he was here, against the South Africans in the one-dayers, so hopefully he can do a good job for us out here this Test match.

"We'll see how we're going [after that]. There's a reasonable gap between this Test and the next one. Obviously a six-Test summer as well so there's a lot of cricket.

"We'll wait and see how he pulls up after this Test match. [Siddle] was talked about. He's bowling really well at the moment. But we won the last Test match with this line-up, and we're going in with the same one."

The third and final Test of the series will be landmark occasion as it will be the first ever day-night Test, to be played at the Adelaide Oval starting on 27 November.