Ollie Robinson and Josh Hazlewood only played one game together for Sydney grade club St George in 2017 but it left a lasting impression on both.

Robinson looked up to Hazlewood, and saw him as his role model as he entered a crucial phase of his career.

They bowl just back of a length, probe outside off stump and enjoy long spells for the team. Robinson showed remarkable stamina in the four Test series against India, and Hazlewood believes that will help his old protege in this Ashes.

They were so well matched at St George that Hazlewood presented Robinson with his cap and afterwards spent hours chatting cricket. Robinson credited him last week for passing on invaluable advice about how to bowl on Australian pitches and even though Hazlewood is quicker, their match up in this series will be telling.

Robinson was not a roaring success at St George’s taking only ten wickets in eight games but it was a learning exercise for a young county professional and he left such a positive impression that coaches at the club now use videos of him as an example to young bowlers.

“You come across young guys and they are either one or the other. They either ask me a lot of questions about how to improve or they are happy with how they are going and probably think they know everything they need to know. Ollie was certainly the inquisitive type trying to get better which has helped him get to where he is now,” Hazlewood tells Telegraph Sport.

“He was coming back from a side strain (at St George) and feeling his way back a bit but what I have seen of him since he looks like a natural in conditions in England. It is just about making those changes to be effective here in Australia on flatter wickets with a ball that doesn’t do as much. His accuracy is great, he gets nice bounce and he has all the game to do it. He has the whole package.

“I told him there are no great secrets. It is about getting the length right and hitting the area around the top off stump. Bowlers like myself and Ollie have to find  the length that goes past the knee roll and hits the top of the stumps. It is just about how quickly you adapt to that length that is key. It looks like he runs in all day. He had some long days against India so proved he has a good engine. It is a bit hotter here than England so that will test the body but helooks a good competitor.”