He didn’t bowl a ball in Sri Lanka, other than in the nets, but evergreen Australian paceman Scott Boland is presenting an almost-irrefutable case for selection against South Africa in the World Test Championship final in June.
Boland’s main rival, Josh Hazlewood, has not taken to the field since breaking down with injury on day four of the Gabba Test against India in mid-December.
More than two months on, Hazlewood has been ruled out of Australia’s squad for the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in Pakistan, and he won’t feature for NSW before the end of the domestic summer.
The Blues, who sit second to a revitalised South Australia on both the Sheffield Shield and one-day cup points tables, have two more preliminary rounds in the four-day competition and one more 50-over fixture, plus finals if they qualify.
They can seal a berth in the one-day cup decider, and a shot at winning the title for the first time since 2020-21, if they beat Victoria at Cricket Central on Sunday.
Hazlewood will sit out those games, according to Cricket NSW. After being ruled out of the India series with what was reported to be a calf injury, he is being treated for a hip problem.
Josh Hazlewood hasn’t played since breaking down with a calf injury in mid-December.Credit: Getty Images
The 34-year-old is following a recovery-and-rehabiltation program so he will be fit in time for the IPL tournament, which runs from March 21 until May 25.
The world title Test against the Proteas will start on June 11 at Lord’s, by which time Hazlewood should have some competitive overs under his belt.
In the interim, Boland continues to stake a claim that is bordering on undeniable.
After Hazlewood, the world’s No.4-ranked Test bowler, broke down in Brisbane, Boland was rushed in, with the series against India one-all and in the balance.
In typically understated fashion, he proceeded to tip the ledger in favour of Australia, who duly reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 3-1 triumph.
Boland’s numbers against India speak for themselves: 2-54 and 3-51 in Adelaide, 3-57 and 3-39 in Melbourne and 4-31 and 6-45 in a man-of-the-match performance in Sydney. That’s 21 wickets in three Tests at a Bumrah-esque average of 13.19.
The 36-year-old’s overall Test record stands at 56 wickets from 13 Tests, costing just 17.66 runs apiece.
In most teams, Boland would be a walk-up starter, yet Australia’s selectors had no qualms about sidelining him during the recent tour of Sri Lanka in favour of a bowling attack that featured three specialist spinners.
While that policy was rewarded with a 2-0 series victory, Australia will almost certainly revert to a traditional line-up at Lord’s featuring three quicks, the spin of Nathan Lyon and the supporting medium-pace of either Beau Webster or Cameron Green, pending fitness.
Skipper Pat Cummins and left-armer Mitchell Starc are presumably the first two pacemen on the team sheet, which leaves Hazlewood and Boland vying for the remaining vacancy.
Boland can’t do much more than what he’s been doing.
After returning from Sri Lanka, he quickly settled back into his robotic groove, claiming a 10-wicket haul (4-56 and 6-46) for Victoria in their Shield loss to NSW at the SCG this week.
That left the Victorians fourth on the Shield table, with games remaining against South Australia and Western Australia.
More wickets in those games, and potentially the final, might be enough to seal Boland’s spot for the World Test Championship decider.
