LONDON (AP) — If Josh Hazlewood was fit, Scott Boland wouldn't have played in the World Test Championship final.
Coming off a side strain, Hazlewood was deemed by Australia too risky to chuck in and was rested for the Ashes series starting this coming week. Boland replaced him and the fast bowler starred in their 209-run defeat of India on Sunday at the Oval.
“He's my new favorite player,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said.
Boland was the third seamer behind Cummins and Mitchell Starc but thanks to the different angles he offers he ended up bowling more overs than both. His consistently nagging line was shorter than the other two but a constant threat to the stumps.
He was tipped to be a handful in his first taste of English conditions with the harder Dukes ball, and he took five wickets in the final, all of them memorable.
In the first innings, he tormented opener Shubman Gill, who was bowled playing no shot. The second wicket was two balls into day three, when Boland bowled Srikar Bharat. He dismissed Gill again, with a stunning Cameron Green catch, to end a flying opening partnership in India's second innings.
Then on Sunday, he dashed India hopes by getting edged catches off spearhead Virat Kohli and prolific allrounder Ravindra Jadeja in the same over.
“That was good fun. It felt pretty good to get Kohli out,” Boland said.
The second male Indigenous test player for Australia after Jason Gillespie is a late-bloomer at 34 years. The Victorian quick made his Australia white-ball debut in one-dayers and Twenty20s in 2016 and didn't break into the test side until the home 2021-22 Ashes series.
He's been stunning ever since. His average increased marginally after this final, but in eight tests he has 33 wickets at a phenomenal 14.57.
Boland has the captain in his corner but Cummins was coy on whether he will start in the first Ashes test against England next week at Edgbaston. But it was a good dilemma for Cummins to have with a pace choice of himself, Starc, Hazlewood, Boland and Michael Neser. But Cummins assured Boland will “play a huge role” in the Ashes.
After Boland took out Kohli and Jadeja in the same over, Cummins said, "I feel like we're starting to become too used to Scotty Boland just doing that.
“He just keeps finding another level, doesn't he? He's unbelievable. He is just our best bowler all game. Held it together. Didn't go for many runs. Always looked threatening. To get two wickets in a row was just reward for how well he bowled throughout the whole game.”
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