'Not a great look': Aussies under fire over Ashes tour game failure

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc’s inability to bowl out a pesky Worcestershire tail might have raised more questions than answers for Aussie selectors ahead of the second Test.

Hazlewood and Starc delivered a timely reminder of their potent new-ball pairing, combining for five wickets as Australia reduced Worcestershire to 8-75 on day two of their tour game on Thursday.

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Hazlewood and Starc, who earned praise from Usman Khawaja for the manner in which they handled last week's selection snubbing in Birmingham, both struck in their first over to reduce the hosts to 3-31 at stumps in Worcester on day one.

The duo, keen to impress as selectors mull whether to rejig Australia's attack for the second Test against England that starts at Lord's on Wednesday, continued the demolition job on Thursday.

Hazlewood exhibited trademark control in front of a crowd that included chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns, grabbing a tidy haul of 3-34 from 15 overs.

Starc had figures of 2-56 from 15.5 overs, the pick of his dismissals a beautiful delivery that former Test teammate Callum Ferguson edged to Marnus Labuschagne at second slip.

However Worcestershire's wagging tail and a no-ball, which cost Starc a wicket, combined to frustrate Australia until the locals declared at 9-201.

Starc and Hazlewood failed to find the breakthrough after lunch as 23-year-old Alex Milton made a nice half-century.

The fact that the Aussies failed to bowl out the county side raised a few eyebrows among the cricket community, with ESPN Cricinfo’s Daniel Brettig describing it as a ‘not a great look’ for Starc and Hazlewood.

Did Starc and Hazlewood do enough?

Hazlewood and Starc are playing their first game since being on drinks duty at Edgbaston, where selectors preferred a pace battery of Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle.

"The rhythm felt really good last night and this morning, you could definitely say that," Hazlewood said, when asked if it was the best he'd bowled on tour.

"Obviously coming back from a pretty serious back injury, back-to-back stress fractures, it can take a while to get back into the swing of things.

"I feel like I'm getting better and better with each bowl ... if I keep improving and keep putting my hand up every time, that's all you can do."

The final day of the three-day contest may be washed out if predicted rain hits Worcester on Friday, which would leave Marcus Harris unbeaten on 62.

Harris outgunned Cameron Bancroft in Australia's second innings, with the latter managing seven from 40 balls as the visitors reached 1-92 at stumps to take a 157-run lead.

Bancroft is fully expected to partner David Warner at the top of the order in the second Ashes Test that starts on Wednesday.

Milton top-scored for Worcestershire with 74, eventually falling when Starc claimed a low catch in the deep to hand Marnus Labuschagne a second wicket.

"The pace is still there. He's a genuine wicket-taker all the time and always poses a threat," Hazlewood said.

Starc struck the helmet of No.10 batsman Charlie Morris and had a stump cartwheeling when Morris was on 12.

But there was no celebration, Starc trudged back to his mark after overstepping.

Morris went on to score a career-best 53 not out, sharing a 88-run stand with Milton.

with AAP