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Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc as duo can replicate the success of Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee

Starc took eight wickets whereas Hazlewood took 11 wickets in the recently concluded tri-nation series

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Australia will hope Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc can form a pair for years to come © Getty Images
Australia will hope Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc can form a pair for years to come © Getty Images

Australia, over the years, have produced few of the greatest players to have graced the game of cricket. When the talk is about the legacy of Australian cricket, the world tend to remember Sir Donald Bradman (arguably, the greatest-ever batsman), Shane Warne (arguably, the greatest-ever spinner) or Ricky Ponting (arguably, the greatest-ever captain). And when it is about their bowling, it has always been equally impressive. They dominated ruthlessly from 1999 to 2007, and their bowlers had a huge role to play in it. ALSO READ: Hazlewood’s fifer stirs AUS to victory against WI

Glenn McGrath was at the center of all the three World Cup tournaments in that span. He formed lethal pairs with both Damien Fleming and Jason Gillespie. However, his devastating combination with Brett Lee is one that stood out. Despite being two completely different types of bowlers, McGrath and Lee complemented each other perfectly.

They bowled exceedingly well in tandem. As a pair, McGrath and Lee were at their mercurial best during the victorious ICC World Cup 2003, scalping a total of 43 wickets between them. It was a common sight to witness McGrath’s controlled line and length, along with Lee’s lethal pace, making life miserable for batsmen. Together, they wrecked havoc through the opposition batting units. ALSO READ: Maxwell happy with Starc, Hazlewood leading AUS’s bowling attack

The McGrath-Lee pair shared the new ball in 29 Tests, and scalped a whopping 228 wickets amongst them. In ODIs, they went a notch better, scalping 339 wickets in 97 innings together. By the time the pair ended their respective careers; they had taken a total of 1,634 wickets, and attained a place in history as one of the most fearsome bowling pairs.

Since then, Australia have been looking for a premium fast bowling combination. Mitchell Johnson, for few years, provided the impetus, but he had very little support from other end. His inconsistencies too played spoilsport on many occasions. But this seems to have been addressed now, with the rise of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Starc became a household name post the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, in which he scalped 22 wickets in mere 8 matches. From the other side, an inexperienced Josh Hazlewood was beginning to make his name, with 7 wickets in 5 matches. While in terms of number, Hazlewood was not a big impact-maker to begin with, but it was certainly the beginning of something new.

Starc, since then, has taken the world by storm, and is undoubtedly the No. 1 bowler. Somehow, his brand of cricket reminds much of Lee. Both the bowlers have express pace and rely on bowling fast yorkers and generate late swing. On the other hand, Hazlewood reminds of McGrath. Barring his bowling action and lateral movement, there are a lot of similarities. Like McGrath, Hazlewood too relies on  shape and movement; and despite not being express quick, trouble the batsmen with line and length.

In the recently concluded Tri-Nation Series in West Indies, Starc and Hazlewood bowled in tandem to help Australia win the series. The fit-again Starc managed to grab 8 wickets in 5 matches, whereas his partner Hazlewood took 11 wickets in 6 innings, including a five-for in the final.

If respective careers are to be looked at, Starc’s stats are unbelievable. A total of 91 wickets in 25 Tests and 98 wickets in 51 ODIs have earned him worldwide praise. As for Hazlewood, he has been phenomenal in Tests, with 70 wickets in 17 Tests. His ODI record is not bad either, with 38 wickets in 24 matches.

If Starc (26) and Hazlewood (25) remain safe from injuries and continue playing for long, Australia may end up finding something as magical as the Lee-McGrath pair.

(R Narayan is a reporter with CricketCountry, and is an ardent cricket and football enthusiast (big Manchester United fan). Having followed cricket since 2003, he likes high scoring matches as well as good fast bowling. His Twitter handle is @RNarayan24nov)

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