Australia’s pace stocks have become precariously thin after veteran quick Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the first Test in a major blow for the hosts on the eve of the Ashes.

South Australian seamer Brendan Doggett is in line for a Test debut at Optus Stadium, alongside regulars Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, after Hazlewood succumbed to injury six days out from the start of the series.

Hazlewood’s latest injury concern, on top of the back injury to captain Pat Cummins, is another sobering reminder to selectors of the ageing nature of Australia’s pace attack, which has been the cornerstone for much of the team’s success over the past decade.

Hazlewood’s durability is a worrying issue for an Australian set-up fully aware of how difficult it has become to keep the country’s big three f

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