Cricket: Hazlewood joins band of elite Aussie bowlers

Australia's Josh Hazlewood, right, celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Ajinkya Rahane during play on day two of the second cricket test in Brisbane, Australia. Photo / AP / Tertius Pickard

As a lanky New South Wales country boy made good, comparisons with Glenn McGrath were inevitable for Australian quick Josh Hazlewood.

Cricket Australia even got McGrath to present Hazlewood his baggy green before the second test against India in Brisbane.

But a day after looking more like a fragile, injury-plagued Bruce Reid due to cramps, Hazlewood managed something even McGrath couldn't achieve on test debut.

Hazlewood was the toast of a Gabba crowd featuring his rowdy family yesterday when he took 5-68 to reduce India to 408 on day two of the second test.

In reply, Australia were 221 for four with stand-in captain Steve Smith not out on 65 and looking poised for another century.

Hazlewood yesterday gained entry to a special club featuring some of Australia's legendary bowlers - but not 563-test wicket great McGrath.

Hazlewood became the 33rd Australian to claim a five-wicket haul on test debut and the first since James Pattinson in 2011.

For the record, McGrath snared 2-92 and 1-50 on test debut against New Zealand in 1993.

But instead of McGrath, ex-national captain Ian Chappell found parallels with another Australian fast bowling great.

"Dennis Lillee also took five on debut by swinging the ball around like him," he told the Nine Network.

"And we all know what career he had.

"This has been a terrific debut for Hazlewood."

His vocal family agreed.

"I was doing handstands up in the grandstand," his father, Trevor, told Fox Sports.

But Hazlewood said he was benefiting from the teaching of another in the "five-for club" - Brett Lee.

"I spent a bit of time at the (BBL team) Sixers with Brett Lee, so he's been great to talk about bowling with over the last few years," he told Nine Network.

He may be just 23 but a test debut against India has been a long time coming for Hazlewood. He was on the 2010 tour of India but withdrew due to a back stress injury.

He has been plagued by injury but no one ever doubted his class.

He played first grade against men at 15 in Tamworth and became the youngest quick to be picked by NSW at 17.

In 2010, he made his ODI debut at 19 - one of only three Australians to have debuted so young at the time.

He finally forced the test selectors' hand with recent ODI hauls of 5-31 and 3-51 against South Africa.

However, Hazlewood's first test scalp will go down in infamy.

He snared Cheteshwar Pujara caught behind on Wednesday but replays later showed the ball had clearly hit the Indian's helmet.

Scoreboard

India: First innings

408

Australia: First innings
C Rogers c Dhoni b Yadav: 55
D Warner c Ashwin b Yadav: 29
S Watson c Dhawan b Ashwin: 25
S Smith not out: 65
S Marsh c Ashwin b Yadav: 32
M Marsh not out: 5
Extras (3w, 4nb, 1lb): 8

Total (for 4wkts, 52 overs): 221
Fall: 1-47, 2-98, 3-121, 4-208.
Bowling: I Sharma 9-0-47-0 (1w 3nb), V Aaron 12-1-59-0 (1nb), U Yadav 13-2-48-3 (1w), R Ashwin 18-3-66-1.

-AAP