Josh Hazlewood hit top speed to advance his case for a Test recall on Thursday afternoon, although he had to prove his fitness almost eight kilometres away from where the veteran quick hopes to terrorise India in the coming days. 

Hazlewood, who missed the Adelaide Test due to a side strain, made a beeline from Australia’s main training session at the Gabba on Thursday to instead bowl off his full run at Allan Border Field, which was belatedly cleared for use after a heavy Brisbane downpour on Tuesday night. 

The 32-year-old sweated his way through an intense 45-minute session under the scorching Queensland sun alongside his longtime partner-in-crime Mitchell Starc, with the pair bowling to Test squad member Josh Inglis and Queensland batter Lachlan Hearne. Bowling coach Dan Vettori was also on hand for the secondary training session. 

Hazlewood was already back bowling while the second Test was underway last week, and medical staff will be eager to see if he pulls up well from Thursday’s session with two Tests still to be played in the series after Brisbane.

“The great thing about Josh is he’s a very level character,” Mitch Marsh said on Thursday. “He’ll do everything he can to get up for the game and then it’s up to the leadership group and the selectors to tick that one off.”

Hazlewood and Starc’s diversion over the Story Bridge robbed Australia’s main batters of the opportunity to face the pair who would likely share the new ball come Saturday if the former is passed fit. 

Australia’s top four of Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith all came back for second hits in the hosts’ lengthiest training hit-out since their 10-wicket win in Adelaide that levelled the series at 1-1.

Boland shapes as the likely fall guy should Hazlewood get the nod despite his strong outing in Adelaide where he took five wickets.

The condensed size of the Gabba practice facilities have long been an issue at an ageing venue that has been slated for demolition ahead of the 2032 Olympics. 

Marsh meanwhile allayed concerns over his own fitness two days out from the third Test, explaining the back niggle that has limited his bowling this summer is “feeling as good as it has felt” in recent times.

The allrounder’s physical issues became apparent during the first Test in Perth but he was only required to bowl four overs in Adelaide.

“We had a really clear plan before the series started,” said Marsh. 

“I didn’t bowl as much as I would have liked to in the lead-up to the series, but our medical staff and Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald) and Patty were really clear on my lead-up. I trusted that. 

“I haven’t had to bowl too much so far but my body is feeling really good … right now it’s feeling as good as it has felt.”

Marsh conceded he “had a ‘mare” after failing to review his caught-behind dismissal in Adelaide against star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ashwin fizzed one past the right-hander’s outside edge and the Western Australian walked without complaint (or consulting his batting partner, Travis Head) when a half-hearted appeal was enough for him to be given out. 

But television replays showed Marsh had missed the ball and hit his pad instead.   

“The reality is I thought I hit – and I didn’t – and I didn’t speak to Heady,” Marsh told reporters. “I had a ‘mare (nightmare) – there’s your headline on Instagram, isn’t it?

“Honestly I just thought I hit it so I walked off. It’s funny – in the changerooms, ‘Gazza’ (Nathan Lyon) asked me if I hit it and I went, ‘Yeah, smashed it mate’. 

“The replay came up and the head went into the hands. About one minute later everyone was laughing at me. My bad.”

The mishap has put him in the curious position of being the only top-seven Australian batter not to have been dismissed by star India quick Jasprit Bumrah in the first two Tests. 

“He’s coming,” laughed Marsh, who vowed not to go into his shell when he takes on Test cricket’s No.1-ranked bowler in Brisbane. 

“When you have the best bowler in the world and (if) you are just trying to see him off, he is going to have one with your name on it. I think it is about applying pressure with your own method and taking the challenge on.

“Everyone has their own plans and we all bat differently so (it’s about) the situation in the game. Sometimes you have to get through a spell and sometimes it is time to attack. We have guys in our batting lineup who just play differently. 

“Getting through your own way and moving the game forward is really important when you are facing one of the best attacks in the world.”

NRMA Insurance Men’s Test Series v India

First Test: India won by 295 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 10 wickets

Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane, 11.20am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad (for second Test): Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Brendan Doggett, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal