Hazlewood wants the scalp of Root - again

Dec 12, 2017 - 6:24 AM Is Joe Root on track to become Josh Hazlewood's bunny?

Root is one of the world's best batsmen, and has flourished since taking over in February as England's Test skipper.

England are 2-0 down in the Ashes against Australia, with Root shaping as his side's main hope of salvaging anything out of the series.

The 26-year-old is yet to showcase his full potential this series, but has looked solid at times in compiling scores of 15, 51, nine and 67.

But for the two innings where he passed 50 and looked set to get a big score, it was Hazlewood who brought him undone.

Hazlewood's most-important strike was in the second innings of the day-night Test in Adelaide, where Root's dismissal early on the final day sparked the end of England's fightback.

During Australia's losing Ashes campaign in England in 2015, Hazlewood snared Root's wicket twice from seven innings.

Four dismissals from 11 innings facing Hazlewood doesn't quite put Root in bunny territory just yet.

But if Hazlewood can rattle Root's cage several more times this series, the bunny title could stick.

Hazelwood said Root was the prized wicket Australia were after.

"Yeah, absolutely. I think all the bowlers want that wicket," Hazlewood said ahead of the third Test starting on Thursday at the WACA Ground.

"Joe is obviously the key. He can hold the innings together and score runs pretty freely when he gets some poor bowling his way.

"So everyone has to be ready when he comes in and stop that quick 20 or 30 runs early."

Former Test star Mitchell Johnson visited Steve Smith's side on Monday in the nets, and he kept his advice short and sweet.

"Bowl fast and keep bowling short," Hazlewood said of the advice given by Johnson, who tormented England four years ago in Australia's 5-0 series win.

"He mentioned he saw a few things similar to 13/14 (in how England are playing).

"Those guys are always good to talk to about past experiences."

Before November's first Test in Brisbane, Australia's quicks studied footage of Johnson's sizzling summer of 2013-14, when he claimed 37 wickets and man-of-the-series honours.

Hazlewood was racing the clock to be fit for the series opener, having suffered a side strain during the tour of Bangladesh.

The right-armer had been uncharacteristically inconsistent since returning. But he excelled on day five of the second Test, when Root was one of his two wickets in his opening spell.

"I'm getting better as time goes on," he said.

"The length was great, especially on that last day ... hopefully, it continues to get better."

Source: AAP