New Delhi: Josh Hazlewood produced a sensational spell to torment South Africa as thrashed the hosts by 214 runs in the first Test in Durban on Tuesday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Hazlewood picked up a six-wicket haul to run through the South Africa batting line-up in their second innings.
Hazlewood picked up a couple of wickets during the Proteas’ first innings and followed it up with a six-fer in their second innings to set up a massive victory for Australia. His 8 wickets in the game helped the Australian pacer take his tally to 311 wickets in his Test career.
Hazlewood surpassed Brett Lee on the elite list of bowlers with the most wickets for Australia in Tests. Lee picked up 310 wickets for Australia in 76 Test matches in his career from 1999 to 2008. Hazlewood went past Lee to become the eighth-highest wicket-taker for Australia in Test cricket.
Most wickets for Australia in Tests:
Shane Warne – 708 wickets
Nathan Lyon – 573 wickets
Glenn McGrath – 563 wickets
Mitchell Starc – 448 wickets
Dennis Lillee – 355 wickets
Pat Cummins – 326 wickets
Mitchell Johnson – 313 wickets
Josh Hazlewood – 311 wickets
Brett Lee – 310 wickets
Hazlewood needs only three more wickets to go past Mitchell Johnson and take the seventh spot on the list of highest wicket-takers for Australia in Tests. He is also following Australia’s Test skipper Pat Cummins (326) closely on the elite list.
Hazlewood 3 wickets away from 150 scalps in WTC
Hazlewood’s six-wicket haul during South Africa’s second innings in the Durban Test also helped him extend his tally to 147 wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC). He needs only three more wickets to become the fourth Australian and the eighth bowler overall to take 150 or more wickets in the WTC.
Hazlewood’s Australia teammate Mitchell Starc is currently the leading wicket-taker in the World Test Championship with 237 wickets in 57 matches. He is followed by Cummins, who has 232 wickets to his name in 55 WTC matches. Lyon is in third place with 230 wickets in 58 matches.