Predictable Hazlewood the face of the banker bowler's resurgence

The new ball has taken worse battering at this men's World Cup than at any in the past. At 5.42 runs an over (before Pakistan vs South Africa), this World Cup has cost teams a good six runs more in the first powerplay than the next-highest World Cup for batting against the new ball.

It is amazing, because on an average, the ball has swung and seamed more than it did in the last World Cup. However, it has done less than it was doing earlier in the year. Perhaps the batters are just relieved after what they have been facing for the last little while or they are trying to make the most of the new ball before it gets scuffed up as it has been doing in this World Cup.

Whatever the reason, it is an opportunity for the really good bowlers to stand out. Among those who have bowled at least ten overs inside the powerplay so far, the second-most economical bowler is someone who, not long ago, was not considered a limited-overs bowler. Josh Hazlewood missed the 2019 ODI World Cup, and wasn't fought over in IPL auctions. Now he is going at 4.35 an over with the new ball and averaging 21.75 with it. Jasprit Bumrah is going at an unbelievable 2.9 an over, and averaging 29.

Either Hazlewood's workload was being managed or people thought he was too consistent, and thus predictable, in formats where variations were all the buzz. Whatever the reason back then, it is that predictability and consistency that have made Hazlewood the face of the resurgence of the banker bowler. An era that rewards a bowler who can put the ball where he wants is a welcome era. This kind of bowler is not picking up wickets by the truckload, but almost always maintaining an economy better than the going rate and hardly ever has a horrible day out.

Pat Cummins, who takes on the role of mixing his lengths in the middle overs, is thankful for such a consistent bowler in the line-up. "He's been consistent his whole career, he's been a gun," Cummins said on the eve of their match against New Zealand. "So, I don't think him being predictable has ever been a problem. He, I think, even in some of those times when he wasn't in the team, was ranked No. 1 or 2 in the world. So, he's fantastic.

"He can now bowl at any time [new ball, middle overs or at the death]. But you're going to get quality up front and, as you said, consistent. Just rarely gets hit off his length and just again another real luxury having someone like him in the team."

In this World Cup, despite taking the new ball, Hazlewood has been bashing the hard lengths, which, when done from his height, can be a handful. Hazlewood has bowled about 70% of his deliveries in the hard length band. For every five of those stock balls, he has bowled one bouncer.

Hazlewood has drawn a false response every four balls, which is right up there with Bumrah. It is when he has got into the fuller side of the hard length that Hazlewood has been most effective, drawing a false response every three balls, going at 3.49 an over and taking half of his six wickets. Yet, he has resisted going to the well too often. More than half of his deliveries have been in the shorter side of that hard-length band.

That is always the temptation with these bowlers: should they actually bowl fuller more often? The answer probably is that they have great numbers in that fuller part because they do so only when there is assistance in the conditions. That short of a good length - seven-to-nine metres to be precise - comes with the handicap of being employed when there is not much in the pitch.

In Dharamsala, one of the three venues with encouraging swing and seam movement, in a day game, you could expect Hazlewood to get more into the six-to-seven-metre band. What's remarkable with bowlers such as him and Bumrah is that they will go more aggressive without overpitching. You won't expect half-volleys from them even if they go searching.

In the process, if Hazlewood does walk away with a bag of wickets - law of averages would suggest such a match is not a million miles away - he will have earned it.