Australia’s opening bowler at Lord’s was unerringly accurate.

He was not quick. He was not slow. He just bowled at a good pace with a beautiful, uncomplicated action notable for his high wrist position.

He got good bounce and movement, beat the bat regularly and took big, crucial wickets.

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The country boy from New South Wales was excellent.

But this was not Glenn McGrath. It was Josh Hazlewood.

The pair have been compared regularly since Hazlewood, at 17, became the youngest paceman to make his New South Wales debut.

The comparisons are unfair, given McGrath took 563 Test wickets at 21.94, and Hazlewood is just 24, trying to make his way.

The bowler with former coach John Muller (R). Photo: Supplied

But 34 wickets in his first seven Tests at an outstanding average of 19.94 is seriously impressive.

And the action, the follow through and the consistency can’t help but remind you of McGrath.

It’s almost as if it was taught.

“I first met Josh when he was 14 or 15 and I was working at the Ken Falkenmire Cricketing Academy in Tamworth,” his former coach John Muller told The New Daily.

“He had a reasonable action back then – but it had to be adjusted.

“He bowled medium-pace so we just worked on his action and fine-tuning it to the Glenn McGrath model, which I taught.

“What is essential in my book is to release the ball at the highest point.

“Glenn McGrath had a beautiful release point, keeping his arm straight until he bowled and then worrying about his follow through.

“My method was to get bowlers to put their arm by their side and leave it there.

“I told them: ‘Run in, don’t rush, gradually build up and then release the ball before following through’.

“My word, Josh grasped it quickly. His action hasn’t changed that much since then.”

Hazlewood is probably keen to shed the ‘next Glenn McGrath’ tag.

Before him, Stuart Clark and Jackson Bird were burdened with it. It’s a pretty hard act to follow.

Muller can’t help but smile every time he hears it, though.

His bowling action remains simple and uncomplicated. Photo: Getty

“After the New Zealand game in the World Cup, I heard it mentioned that Josh was similar to McGrath,” he said.

“I was very pleased with that. Every time I watch him bowl, I always watch to see if he’s releasing the ball in an upright position.

“He still does it – and very well. I get a real buzz to see Josh carrying that on.

“To achieve what Josh has so far in his career is phenomenal and there’s no doubt in my mind he can get even better.

“When he gets on pitches that will suit him, he can get it around the chest of batsmen.”

Former Australia bowler Nathan Bracken was a teammate of Hazlewood’s at New South Wales.

And while he says he’s not the next version of McGrath, he acknowledged the similarities were striking.

“Josh is Josh and Glenn is Glenn,” Bracken told The New Daily.

“After Shane Warne retired, every spinner was the next Shane Warne.

“But we’re never going to have repeats of those guys.

“Josh has a good build-up, is solid at the crease and bowls at a good length – all similarities with Glenn.

“Glenn made it look pretty easy and Josh is the same. He doesn’t look like he is charging in but he is bowling 140 km/h, getting good bounce and moving the ball in the air and off the pitch.

“He certainly has the potential to lead Australia’s fast bowling attack for a very long time if he stays fit.”

It was an injury to Bracken that paved the way for Hazlewood to make his debut for NSW.

The paceman initially battled with injury. Photo: Getty

He recalled a young man who struggled for consistency and battled injuries in the early stages of his career.

“I knew New South Wales were looking at him for quite a while before his debut,” he added.

“He played state under-19s and Australian under-19s but there was a workload concern.

“I remember he got injured in his first year and they gave him a long-term break. They tried to keep him fresh.

“In the early days, he’d occasionally bowl a nothing ball in an over.

“It wasn’t short and it wasn’t length – it was just a nothing ball that would ease the pressure on a batsman.

“But in the last 18 months to two years, I haven’t seen it. He’s improved out of sight and a lot of that is down to confidence.

“He is a bowler who will always ask a question. He is consistent and bowls a superb line and length.

“With the height he has, he gets extra bounce too, and we’ve seen that with some of his wickets in England.”

It wasn’t extra bounce that undid Ian Bell at Lord’s, though. And it wasn’t his nagging line and length.

It was a ball that, headed for Bell’s pads, swung late, and wildly, before crashing into the off-stump.

Watch the delivery to Bell here

What an absolute beauty from Josh Hazlewood! #ohwhatafeeling #Ashes http://t.co/t979bCeiCO

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) July 17, 2015

The Englishman had no chance. No one would have.

It was a ball that got you off the couch in the small hours.

It was the sort of delivery that we’d seen before. From another New South Wales paceman.