Hazlewood's 6-for makes him Australia's 9th 300-Test wicket bowler in Darwin
Synopsis
Josh Hazlewood's six-for in Darwin didn't just reach a personal milestone — it completed cricket history. Australia now has four active bowlers who have each taken 300 Test wickets together, a feat no nation has ever achieved. For a 35-year-old who missed 12 months through injury and was fighting for his Test spot, the timing could not have been more emphatic.
Key Takeaways
Josh Hazlewood became the ninth Australian to take 300 Test wickets on 15 August in the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin .
He claimed a six-wicket haul — his 14th five-for and fourth six-wicket haul in Tests, the first in nine years .
Australia now has four active bowlers — Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon , Pat Cummins , and Mitchell Starc — who have each taken at least 300 Test wickets together, a first in cricket history.
Hazlewood's bowling average of 24.02 is the fourth-best among Australia's 300-wicket club , behind only McGrath (21.64), Cummins (22.21), and Lillee (23.92).
He had been sidelined for 12 months before this Test and played only six of Australia's last 14 Tests due to injury.
Josh Hazlewood became the ninth Australian bowler in history to claim 300 Test wickets on 15 August, taking his 14th career five-wicket haul — and a six-for — in the first Test against Bangladesh at Darwin. The milestone arrived when Mehidy Hasan Miraz edged behind attempting to drive on the up, off Hazlewood's 26th over of the innings.
A Historic Quartet
Hazlewood's landmark completes an unprecedented feat in Test cricket: Australia now has four active bowlers — Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Hazlewood — who have each taken at least 300 Test wickets while playing together. No other nation in the history of Test cricket has produced four contemporaneous bowlers who have all crossed that threshold.
Among Australia's nine bowlers to reach 300 wickets, only Glenn McGrath (avg 21.64), Pat Cummins (22.21), and Dennis Lillee (23.92) hold a superior bowling average to Hazlewood's 24.02 — placing him firmly in elite company by any measure.
The Road to 300
The milestone was hard-earned. Hazlewood had been sidelined for 12 months leading into this Test, featuring in only six of Australia's last 14 Tests due to injury. He arrived at Darwin just five wickets short of the landmark, with his selection itself a subject of debate — Scott Boland had been pushing for inclusion in the attack.
Hazlewood silenced any doubts with a match-altering performance. He was unlucky early when Nathan Lyon dropped a catch off Tanzid Hasan in his very first over; Tanzid went on to score 101. Undeterred, Hazlewood broke a key partnership on the second morning, catching Mominul Haque behind attempting to hit on the up. With the second new ball, he removed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for 84 with a delivery from around the wicket.
Day Three and the Milestone Moment
On the third day, with Australia's attack toiling in the Darwin heat, Hazlewood continued to provide the decisive breakthroughs. He dismissed Hasan Mahmud via an lbw — after an earlier lbw against Mehidy had been overturned on review — before Taijul Islam edged one to Cameron Green at gully off extra bounce. After the lunch interval, Mehidy edged behind to hand Hazlewood his 300th Test wicket. He then completed a six-wicket haul when Ebadot Hossain was caught behind, wrapping up Bangladesh's innings.
It was Hazlewood's fourth Test six-wicket haul — and his first in nine years.
What Hazlewood Said
Speaking after the innings, Hazlewood was characteristically understated about the achievement. 'You don't really think about those sort of milestones when you're playing,' he said. 'I guess it's probably something you look back on at the end.'
He added: 'But I guess just to see the other names there, and I'm playing with three of them, so yeah, it's pretty cool.'
On Bangladesh's resistance, Hazlewood was generous: 'They hung in there tough. Yeah, it's pretty hard work out there on that track. We probably stuck it out, we didn't let the runs flow too quickly there at the end. It was tough to get wickets out there, so it was a good effort.'
What Comes Next
With the first Test in Darwin well in hand, Australia's four-pronged 300-wicket attack will look to press home the advantage. For Hazlewood, now fully fit and back to match-winning form, the second half of his Test career appears set for a commanding final chapter.
Point of View
All active, all past 300 wickets: no team in 147 years of Test cricket has managed that. What makes it more remarkable is that Hazlewood nearly wasn't selected for this Test, with Boland applying pressure for a spot. His six-for answers that debate decisively, but it also raises a structural question for selectors: how do you manage four ageing, high-mileage match-winners through a long home summer without burning one of them out again?
NationPress
15 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Australian bowlers have taken 300 Test wickets?
Nine Australian bowlers have reached 300 Test wickets, with Josh Hazlewood becoming the ninth on 15 August in Darwin. He joins Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee, Brett Lee, and Craig McDermott in that group.
What is historic about Australia having four 300-wicket bowlers playing together?
Australia's Lyon, Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood are the first four bowlers in the history of Test cricket to have all played together and each taken at least 300 wickets. No other nation has ever produced four contemporaneous bowlers to achieve that milestone simultaneously.
What were the details of Hazlewood's six-wicket haul in Darwin?
Hazlewood took six wickets in Bangladesh's innings in the first Test in Darwin, including his landmark 300th wicket when Mehidy Hasan Miraz edged behind. It was his 14th career five-wicket haul and his fourth six-wicket haul in Tests — the first in nine years.
How does Hazlewood's bowling average compare to other Australian 300-wicket bowlers?
Hazlewood's Test bowling average of 24.02 is the fourth-best among Australia's nine 300-wicket bowlers, behind only Glenn McGrath (21.64), Pat Cummins (22.21), and Dennis Lillee (23.92).
Was Hazlewood's selection for the Darwin Test a certainty?
No — Hazlewood's place was subject to debate, with Scott Boland competing for a spot in the attack. Hazlewood had also missed 12 months through injury and featured in only six of Australia's last 14 Tests before the Darwin match.
