Follow UsIt’s been two years since Aaron Hardie made his international debut, but Australia’s insane depth has meant that he’s largely been a backup who often finds himself in and out of the side.
In the 15 T20Is he’s played, however, the 26-year-old has carved out a niche for himself as a very handy new-ball bowler. Hardie has bowled 17 overs in the powerplay in the T20Is he’s played, and he’s taken 5 wickets at an exceptional economy of 7.60.
What it’s done is give a ton of flexibility and options to the captain, and also add more balance to the side, given he’s a perfectly capable Top 7 batter as well.
"I love bowling off the top," Hardie said ahead of the third T20I, where he’s expected to replace the injured Mitch Owen at No.7.
"As the allrounder, it's good to get those overs out of the way early and support the guys with a few more skills throughout the middle overs. I've done it a fair bit in domestic cricket. When the ball is swinging, it's good with two (fielders) out. But when it stops swinging, it's not as fun. It's awesome to be able to challenge yourself."
Hardie admitted that the current Australian team is a very tough unit to break into, but he’s keen to impress in every opportunity he gets.
"A lot of people when they've come into the Aussie team have had that experience," Hardie said of his place in the group.
"I know Josh Inglis was very similar in his first few years of touring. It's such a hard team to crack into.
"I'll be trying to take my opportunity when it comes."
Hardie has also played 13 ODIs, in which he’s taken 10 wickets. 8 of these wickets have come in the first 10 overs, at an exceptional economy rate of 4.4.