Adelaide, 9 December (IANS). It seemed as if Scott Boland was never away. He played his first home Test in two years against India in Adelaide and would have got a wicket on the very first ball had he not bowled a no ball. What he could not do in the first innings, he did in the second innings, this was one of his five wickets in the match and the spectators were as excited about it as Mitchell Starc’s excellent start in the Test or Travis Head’s brilliant century. .
Even then Boland’s comeback may be only for one match. Josh Hazlewood, who played the first Test in Perth, did not play in Adelaide due to injury and it is expected that he will be ready for the third Test to be held at Gabba from 14 December.
Boland was expected to play a role at some stage last season but Australia’s first-choice fast bowlers faced no problems. He last played in the 2023 Ashes, where he faced a setback in his Test career when England’s baseball cricket attacked him, conceding twice at 4.91 runs per over and taking only two wickets.
India were also trying to do the same in Adelaide, when Nitish Kumar Reddy added 21 runs in a single over in the first innings and Rishabh Pant played some strange shots on them in the second innings. At the end of the Tests, Boland’s record at home was 33 wickets at an average of 13.54.
Head said after the end of the second day’s play in Adelaide, “It looks like something is going to happen with Scotty. He has been excellent throughout his Test career. We said earlier this week that it is good We have someone who is absolutely ready and you know what an impact he will have. He is an important guy for us. Yes, he is a good person, the boys like him, the public likes him. Whenever he gets a chance, you are very happy with him.”
Boland has the ability to bowl the ball at a good spot right from the start of the spell and what could be a better example of this than the Adelaide Test. When Boland’s first ball hit KL Rahul’s bat and went to the keeper, he was returning to the pavilion but it was called a no ball, but the snick also showed that there was no edge there. Something similar was seen in the case of Mitchell Marsh when he was out on the ball of R Ashwin on the second day.
After this, in his very first over, Boland again edged Rahul’s bat but Usman Khawaja could not take the catch at first slip. Boland had Shubhman Gill LBW, then dismissed Rohit Sharma with his trademark delivery. In the second innings, when he got Yashasvi Jaiswal caught behind the wicket on his very first ball, this time there was no problem on his front foot. After a few overs he took the wicket of Virat Kohli.
Hazlewood said, “I just admire him for the way he sticks to his line and length. He does his job, he doesn’t try and be someone else. Whether he’s playing for Victoria or Australia, He remains the same. We have seen him take many wickets in a single over. So in these conditions, he just explodes with the pink ball. If you have to bowl, who can be better than him?”
But Hazlewood has 278 Test wickets and will make a comeback if he is fit.
He bowled two spells in the middle of the Adelaide Oval on Monday. Then it will depend on how well he recovers from these in the next 24 hours. Hazlewood explained that the recent injury was not “a typical side strain” but was part of an ongoing problem that has left him frustrated and looking for a solution.
He said, “You run out to bowl and you just grab your cap and you’re out for six weeks. It’s not that kind of side strain. It’s given me a lot of trouble over the years, But this year I prepared well, played Shield games and did everything right.”
“I was happy with where I was and am still happy. So I was quite upset there for a few days. There were a lot of meetings with physios, doctors and others from CA’s point of view. So we will look at some options and see if We can prevent this from happening again. I’ve ticked every option so far. Obviously this side strain has been a problem for me in the past. So if I can err on the side of caution. Seems like That the problem will reduce.”
Hazlewood continued bowling for some time after feeling pain for the first time in Perth, but the previous experience later came in handy.
He said, “I remember the quarantine period before the Ashes, I probably avoided it for too long. During the time against the West Indies I think it was in Perth… Pat did his quad, and we had to bowl a few more overs. It seems like every over you bowl in that situation adds a few more days of recovery every time.”
In India’s case, Jasprit Bumrah needs a big support, Australia’s depth in fast bowling could make a big impact in this series.
Hazlewood said, “Of course we have Scotty, who does his job very well whenever he plays. So it becomes easier to take decisions. Sometimes it happens that you are not completely ready to play, so then You have Scottie.”
If Boland returns to the Gabba carrying drinks, Australia know that if they need a super sub again, there is little chance he will let them down.
–IANS
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