Ashes 2021-22 | Scott Boland set to make his Test debut in the Melbourne Test
Australia have announced their squad for the third Test in Melbourne and Scott Boland has been handed a surprise Test debut. Boland has 272 dismissals to his name in 79 first-class matches and will look forward to replicate the same kind of performance in his opening fixture of Test career.
Australia are dominating the Ashes 2021-22 and are leading by 2-0 in the series. The team will be looking to win the third Test too and ensure a series win. The team has been announced for the Melbourne Test and Scott Boland has been handed a surprise Test debut for the fixture. He becomes the fourth indigenous Test cricketer after Faith Thomas, Jason Gillespie and Ashleigh Gardener. Pat Cummins has said that it is great that the rich history of Australia is starting to be reflected in sports.
"It's huge. Australia, we have a rich history and it's great that it's starting to be reflected,” Cummins said.
Boland has played 14 ODIs and three T20Is in 2016 picking 16 and three wickets respectively. His record at Melbourne Cricket Ground(MCG) is impeccable as he has 96 wickets from 27 first-class matches at 25.56. Also, he has taken 15 wickets in the Sheffield Shield this season.
"The first thing you've got to wrap your head around playing at the MCG is you'll have to bowl a lot of overs more often than not and he does that really well. The Shield game they won against New South Wales, think he bowled 50 overs.” he stated.
"His pace stays up, he's always at you, bowls really well to left handers. Asks a lot of questions around that fourth stump, knee roll, a bit of nibble each way. He's just really well suited here."
"We earmarked him as a chance for SCG and here, we feel he's really well suited. His record speaks for itself here in domestic cricket."
Boland gets his chance as Jhye Richardson is pretty sore after taking a fifer in the second innings of the second Test. His debut is indicative of the depth Australia pace department have. Last summer Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood played unchanged against India when the opposition scripted a historic series win. Cummins revealed that Richardson is pretty sore and also opined that the pace bowlers have good fitness levels.
"He's pretty sore. We thought seven days off, give him enough rest…so rather than risking him give him a week off,” he revealed.
"The biggest factor has been the fitness of the bowlers. The fact that Joshy, Starcy and I haven't missed many games in the last few years has probably been the biggest factor in us not rotating through quick bowlers. Inevitable in a five-Test series that things were going to pop up. It's probably been a few years in the making where we have six or seven and need to use them.”
Cummins missed the second Test as he came in close contact with a Covid positive person in an Adelaide restaurant. He admitted that he was angry about missing out on the fixture.
"I said to JL [Justin Langer], I'm really angry but don't know who at. There was no one to blame. When I left the restaurant I thought, that's fine, I didn't get near him and I'll test negative. Then it became the state rules and you've got to follow them,” he concluded.
"When I knew I wasn't playing I thought this would be a good chance to sit back and enjoy it as a fan then after about an hour I was quite angry, wishing I was back out there. It was interesting to listen to some of the commentary, see what the rest of Australia is seeing outside of our little bubble."
Team: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
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