He missed an entire Ashes series. Hamstring. Then calf. Thirteen months without a Test match. Most bowlers come back slower and less dangerous after that kind of absence. Then he walked out in Darwin and did something that only eight Australians had ever done before him. The 300th wicket was always coming. Nobody expected that Hazlewood Joins Australia’s 300 Wickets Club as Bangladesh is dominating Australia.
The Moment the 300th Wicket Arrived
Josh Hazlewood has become the ninth Australia bowler to take 300 Test wickets after claiming his 14th career five-wicket haul in the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin.
The 300th wicket came in the 26th over of Hazlewood’s spell on Day 3 at Marrara Stadium. He returned after lunch on the third day to take his fifth and reach 300 in his 26th over with Mehidy edging behind trying to drive on the up.
Then he did not stop. He took his fourth Test six-wicket haul, and his first in nine years, when he had Ebadot Hossain caught behind to end the innings.
How the Six-Wicket Haul Unfolded
The Bangladesh lower order had been frustrating Australia throughout the morning session. The pitch was producing extra bounce. The Darwin heat was relentless. Australia flagged. Hazlewood did not.
He broke Hasan Mahmud’s stubborn resistance, trapping him lbw after having another lbw decision on Mehidy Miraz Hasan overturned on review earlier in the spell. Extra bounce again accounted for Taijul Islam as Cameron Green clutched a leading edge in the gully. Each wicket came from discipline and precision. Nothing from luck.
The Nine Australians With 300 Test Wickets
Hazlewood now joins an elite group that only nine Australians have ever entered. The full list includes Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Dennis Lillee, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and now Hazlewood.
He joins teammates Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the Test-300 club. They are the only Test attack in history to play together after claiming 300 wickets each. That is a unique piece of cricket history. Four bowlers in the same active Test attack. All with 300 or more wickets. Never happened before anywhere in the world.
Where Hazlewood Sits Among Australian Greats
The average is what makes Hazlewood’s record especially impressive. Of the nine Australians to have taken 300 Test wickets, only Glenn McGrath, Cummins and Dennis Lillee have done so at a better average than Hazlewood’s 24.02.
McGrath at 21.64. Cummins at 22.21. Lillee at 23.92. Then Hazlewood at 24.02. That puts him fourth among all Australians who have taken 300 Test wickets in terms of bowling average.
For a bowler who has spent enormous portions of his career managing injuries, that average reflects consistent excellence rather than occasional brilliance. The full story of Australia’s greatest fast bowlers and where Hazlewood fits into that tradition is explored in our piece on the best five fast bowlers in Australia of all time.
What Hazlewood Said After Reaching the Milestone
Hazlewood was characteristically understated. He did not celebrate loudly. He reflected quietly on where his name now sits.
Hazlewood told Kayo Sports after his 300th wicket: “You don’t really think about those sort of milestones when you’re playing. I guess it’s probably something you look back on at the end. But I guess just to see the other names there, and I’m playing with three of them, so yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
That response tells you everything about how Hazlewood approaches the game. He is 35 years old. He missed 13 months with injuries. He came back and took a six-wicket haul. And his reaction was to say it’s pretty cool. Not everyone in Australian cricket carries themselves the same way.
The Comeback After 13 Months Away
Hazlewood missed the victorious home Ashes series last summer due to a hamstring injury and subsequent calf issue. He is all set to end a 13-month absence from Test cricket when Australia take on Bangladesh in the series opener in Darwin.
That 13-month absence is the context that makes this milestone feel even more significant. He came back five wickets short of 300. He got there on Day 3 of his comeback Test. He then bowled himself into history with his fourth career six-wicket haul in Tests, his first in nine years.
Bowlers who miss 13 months with injuries at 35 years old are usually beginning their farewell tour. Hazlewood used Darwin to announce that his farewell is not happening yet.
What This Means for Australia’s Attack
The four-bowler combination of Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Lyon with 300-plus wickets each is genuinely unprecedented. No other Test nation in history has had four active bowlers simultaneously at that wicket count.
Australia have a 21-Test schedule over the next 12 months. India arrive later this year for five Tests. England follow. The Hazlewood that performed at Darwin is exactly the bowler Australia need throughout that stretch. His ability to maintain pressure for long spells, take the key wicket when it matters, and generate extra bounce from a good length is irreplaceable.
Bangladesh’s Fighting Response
Despite Hazlewood’s brilliance, Bangladesh did not fold easily. Bangladesh took a 228-run first innings lead over Australia after the Tanzid experiment paid off for Bangladesh. Tanzid Hasan’s promotion to opener worked exactly as planned for Bangladesh’s coaching staff.
Tanzid, Shanto and Mehidy kept Bangladesh in front after a gripping day’s play. The series is far from over. Australia’s second innings has already begun. Bangladesh arrive in their first Test tour of Australia in 23 years showing genuine competitive intent. Hazlewood’s 300 wickets came inside a match that Bangladesh have not surrendered.
The records being chased in this Test series, including where this match sits in the history of Test cricket’s longest bowling records, is explored in detail in our piece on Test cricket’s top 10 batters of all time, which gives context to the kind of era Hazlewood has been performing across since his debut in 2014.
Conclusion
Josh Hazlewood took his 300th Test wicket at Marrara Stadium in Darwin on August 15, 2026. He missed 13 months before this match. He came back and took six wickets. He is the ninth Australian to reach the landmark. His average of 24.02 puts him fourth among all nine. He is playing alongside the only other three Test bowlers in history who have all reached 300 wickets in the same active attack. Quiet. Unflashy. And absolutely relentless. That is Josh Hazlewood at 35.
