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The way Australia turned up in Adelaide, it didn’t look like the team was short of their primary seamer against India. Mitchell Starc took it upon himself to bring the team level in the five-match Border Gavaskar Trophy series. The lethal pacer used the pink ball as his best weapon, scalping six wickets for just 48 runs. Scott Boland, filling in for Josh Hazlewood, complemented Starc’s mastery seamlessly. The pacer claimed Shubman Gill and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma LBW in the first innings. Overall, Boland clinched five wickets across the two innings in the match that sided with the Aussies. However, despite Boland’s impressive spell, Josh Hazlewood reclaimed his spot in the playing XI for the third BGT Test.
Josh Hazlewood comes in, Boland returns to the bench for the third Border Gavaskar Trophy Test
Josh Hazlewood was instrumental in leaving the opponents reeling at just 150 in the first innings of the Perth Test. While Australia endured a heavy defeat in the opener, Hazlewood accumulated the highest wicket count for the team, taking five wickets across the innings. However, the pacer suffered a strain in his left side, an issue that has incessantly troubled him. Subsequently, Australia ruled him out of the second Test, adding Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett to the squad. Meanwhile, Scott Boland jumped the pecking order to join the Australian playing XI for the Adelaide Test.
Now, with Hazlewood’s recovery, Boland, who was originally named in the Australian squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, will return to the bench. A day before the Gabba Test, the third in the five-match series, Hazlewood's return to the playing XI was confirmed. The seamer was seen hitting the nets following the Adelaide Test, giving the impression that the strain wasn’t overly serious. Josh Hazlewood himself had expressed that the discomfort wasn’t severe enough to limit his participation throughout the series.
"You're running in to bowl, and you just grab your hat and you're off, and you're out for six weeks - it's not that sort of side strain," Hazlewood had said earlier. "It's from a sort of repetitive use. It's caused me a lot of trouble over the last few years, but [had] perfect prep this year,” he added.
As it turns out, Hazlewood gauged his fitness well, as the seamer is all set to join the pace attack at the Gabba. Australian skipper Pat Cummins informed on Friday that Scott Boland would make way for Hazlewood in Brisbane. Hazlewood underwent two fitness tests in the week leading up to the fixture and regained his full intensity with the ball. Moreover, with the venue presenting shorter run-ups, Hazlewood practiced at the Allan Border Field alongside Starc and bowling coach Daniel Vettori to reach his full potential ahead of the main contest.
"He's had no hiccups," Cummins said about the seamer’s return. "He had a really good bowl yesterday and a bowl in Adelaide a couple of days previous. The medical team is super confident,” he added.
Pat Cummins also addressed Scott Boland’s future chances in the team during the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Since his debut in 2021, Boland has consistently performed whenever given the opportunity. This time too, the 35-year-old bowler, often on the outskirts of the team and filling in for injured players, delivered a match-defining spell. Acknowledging Boland’s impact, Cummins expressed hope to include him in the lineup for the MCG. Furthermore, Cummins discussed preparing Boland to play in the final two Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, scheduled in Melbourne and Sydney.
"It's tough, leaving him out; he was fantastic in Adelaide," Cummins said. "Unfortunately, he’s spent quite a bit of time on the bench over the last 18 months, and whenever he plays, he's fantastic. Shame for Scotty, but there's still a fair bit to play out in the series, so I'd be surprised if he doesn't get another crack at some point."
"We told him it's about preparing for the MCG because there's a good chance we might need you. It’s about trying to set him up for the last two Test matches," Cummins concluded.
Australia Playing XI for the Gabba Test: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood