Ravi Shastri, the all-time great ex-India coach, has expressed his view on the fast bowlers Australia must select for the ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa at Lord's.
The World Test Championship winners come to the standalone Test in London with a combination of choices among probable fast bowlers. Pat Cummins at the helm, and up for selection are left-armer Mitchell Starc, as well as established Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, since Australia possesses sufficient choices to play with when selecting the three fast bowling places among the top eleven on offer.
Also, Australia might think about playing all-rounder Beau Webster if they want an additional bowling option at their disposal.
On a recent instalment of The ICC Review, Shastri debated Australia's selection dilemma with presenter Sanjana Ganesan. The ex-India coach believes that, provided Hazlewood proves his fitness before the game, he has to be picked along with Cummins, Starc, and spinner Nathan Lyon.
"It would be a very hard decision, but if Hazelwood is fit, then he gets the preference over Boland," Shastri had said during the conversation.
Hazlewood has been out of the three out of the five Tests in Australia's recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour of India and has also been out of the tour of Sri Lanka and the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 recently this year with calf problems.
While, the 34-year-old was back to competitive cricket in the Indian Premier League, where he has done well for Royal Challengers Bangalore with 12 wickets in his first eight games. Though he likes Boland, Shastri feels that conditions at Lord's would suit Hazlewood's bowling.
"If Hazlewood can do that, he will surely be picked for two reasons. One, English conditions, two, Lord's with the slope," he explained.
He again repeated Hazlewood's similarity with legend Australian pacer Glenn McGrath, especially in how their height and line of approach are suited to the pitch of Lord's.
"Lord's slope is one where Hazlewood is most in the mould of Glenn McGrath," Shastri said, adding that McGrath's record at Lord's is telling. McGrath collected a record 26 wickets in only three Tests there, his best work an 8/38 in the second Test of Australia's 1997 tour of England and Scotland.
"McGrath was lethal with his skill of reversing the ball either direction, and Hazlewood has the same sort of potential with his height," Shastri also added.
He also explained that, as the Lord's pitches are not as fast as the Australian ones, Hazlewood's additional height and bounce would come in useful, which he would possess over Boland, although Shastri also asserted his respect for Boland.
Boland has been fantastic for Australia, and his performance is evidence of the same, particularly in the 2023 World Test Championship Final against India where he claimed five wickets," Shastri further stated. "His second-innings effort was also impressive, taking 3/46 and knocking out big players like Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja."
Shastri also mentioned that Australia can look at playing an all-pace attack against the Proteas, particularly if the pitch is grassier.
"Ideally, you'd love to play all four (seamers) if there is a bit more grass on the surface," he said.
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