Scott Boland grabbed three wickets in an over to leave a rattled West Indies on 38-4 and facing a heavy defeat in the second Test Saturday as the world’s top-ranked team zeroed in on another victory to seal the series.
After the visitors were dismissed for 214 on day three of the pink-ball clash in Adelaide, in reply to the hosts’ 511-7 declared, Australia called time again at 199-6 in their second innings.
It left the Caribbean side needing 497 to win, but they meekly surrendered under the lights to the line and length of Boland, in the side in place of an injured Pat Cummins.
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Aussies dominate Windies on day 3 | 02:34
TALKING PTS: Boland blitz leaves Aussies with dilemma; Carey’s ‘Achilles heel’
He removed Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks and Jermaine Blackwood in six sizzling balls without conceding a run — two caught and one lbw — to leave West Indian hopes in tatters.
Boland, who ended with 3-9, last played in the Ashes campaign on home soil a year ago, snaring an incredible 6-7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, highlighting the depth of Australia’s bowling stocks.
While the focus for the time being will be on Australia going on with the job in the second Test, some cricket pundits also already have one eye on next week’s first Test against South Africa.
Cummins is expected to be fit for the series, which opens in Brisbane next week, creating quite the selection dilemma but two cricket greats are convinced Boland should keep his spot.
“Well he’s bowling himself into another Test match next week, I’m thinking,” former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith said on Fox Cricket.
“Absolute no-brainer – Scott Boland will get picked every day of the week,” former Test skipper Ricky Ponting told Channel 7.
At the moment though it is a headache for another day as Australia zeroes in on the final six wickets to seal what looks likely to be a dominant victory at Adelaide Oval.
Australian XI
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
West Indies squad XI
Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood, Devon Thomas, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, Anderson Phillip, Marquino Mindley
Recent form (most recent first)
Australia WLWWD
West Indies LWWWD
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