Australia’s fast bowling cartel isn’t set to take a rest anytime soon after Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins declared they were in good shape after their first Test victory in Durban.
The Australians started the three-Test series against South Africa perfectly, recovering from a precarious position at 6-124 on the first day to pull off an emphatic 214-run victory.
And while Matthew Renshaw was deservedly named Man of the Match for his mammoth haul of 272 across the contest, including a career-high 190 to rescue the tourists’ first innings, Australia’s quicks were superb on a flat, slow wicket.
Chasing six wickets on the final day after setting the Proteas a record run chase of 421, the quicks toiled away throughout the first session as opener Aiden Markram and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder held them at bay.
But it was Hazlewood who started the rot as he and Cummins plotted a leg side trap that worked to perfection.
Hazlewood struck three more times with a gem cutting Marco Jansen in half and claiming his middle stump before, a few balls later, getting a similar delivery to rip Simon Harmer’s gloves on the way past his face.
He ended the innings with the winning wicket and a career-high 6-49 from 16.5 overs, besting his previous six-wicket haul in Hyderabad.
And the big man declared his body had held up well after only returning from a long-term injury, which cost him playing in the Ashes last summer, in August.
“Things are going pretty well,” he told Supersport.
“I still think before that Darwin Test I did a lot of work and a big training block there to, I guess, get ahead of the eight-ball and pay dividends down the track, which I guess is now.
“I played a bit of one-day cricket in between to keep things ticking over, so I’m feeling good. Still a lot of cricket to come but right now feeling good.”
Cummins, who only played one match during the Ashes due to injury, declared post-match he was feeling so good, he had another few spells in him had they been required.
“I’m really happy (with how I’m bowling),“ he said.
“I haven’t played a lot of Tests over probably the last 18 months, and that felt as good as I have really.
“Coming in, I said I was feeling really quite fresh, and I’m glad I got through this Test and feel really good.
“I feel like I could’ve bowled more overs if I needed”
The skipper added it helped he had so many options to turn to.
“Anywhere you look you’ve got bowlers there, and even our part-timers are probably a bit better than part-timers, so we’ve got loads of options,” he said.
“But particularly the two quicks and (Nathan) Lyon just go to work; they’ve done it hundreds of times; it’s always impressive.”
Australia have a short turnaround for the next Test, which starts on Sunday in Gqeberha.