Sydney, Nov 8 (IANS) Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is gearing up for the all-important Ashes series, which begins on November 21, and said that he feels like he is ‘in the best shape in a long time’ ahead of the first Test, scheduled to be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Hazlewood is tallied at 295 Test wickets ahead of the Ashes, and will be aiming to reach the 300-mark milestone in the series opener. The 34-year-old will have a huge responsibility on his head, that is leading the pace attack in the absence of the team’s regular skipper Pat Cummins, who has been ruled out of the Perth Test as he recovers from a stress fracture.

However, Hazlewood feels in the best shape and is confident of doing well in the series.

“I feel in the best shape I’ve been in a long time. Over the last four or five years, I’ve had a lot of confidence. My numbers suggest that. Just staying on the park, probably since COVID (pandemic), has been hard,” the pacer told reporters here on Saturday.

The New South Wales (NSW) bowler also had a subtle response to the English media’s dig at the Aussie squad, who dubbed the hosts ‘Dad’s Army, given the average age of the players. Notably, Cameron Green is the only player under 30 out of the 15 named in the squad.

Hazlewood seemed unbothered with the comments made on his team, and instead commended the unity between the players saying that they try to pull each other up as per the need of the hour, whenever ‘the rhythm’s not quite there’.

“We bounce off each other out there and know each other’s game so well and help each other out there. There’ll come a time, no doubt (when the team is too old), but I don’t think it’s yet. We’ve been together a long time, taken a heap of wickets, but the times off the field as well have been so great. We know each other so well, so we can pull each other up from time to time when the rhythm’s not quite there,” he stated.

–IANS

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