Scott Boland, the man of the moment, wasn’t picked for the first Test against South Africa, as Australia went with their regular trio of fast bowlers, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and skipper Pat Cummins, along with their experienced off-spinner, Nathan Lyon. Unfortunately, the 37-year-old fast bowler missed out as the visitors prioritised balance in their playing XI.
However, Australia included Scott Boland in the playing XI for the second SA vs AUS Test at St George’s Park, leaving out Nathan Lyon. The decision worked well for the visitors, as Boland picked up five wickets in the first innings, once again making a statement that he is hard to ignore.
Boland’s accuracy in delivering back-of-a-length balls makes him a tough bowler to face. Scoring runs against him becomes even more difficult when he hits the right length and gets the ball to move back into right-handed batters. His ability to occasionally move the ball away from right-handers has also earned him wickets. For a bowler to maintain such consistency at the age of 37 is truly remarkable.
Despite possessing all the qualities of an excellent Test bowler, why doesn’t Australia include Scott Boland regularly in its starting XI? Let’s find out.
Scott Boland’s Quality Is Undeniable, But Australia Faces a Selection Dilemma
There is no doubt that Scott Boland is an exceptional Test bowler. However, when it comes to Australia’s bowling attack, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon have all represented the country for more than a decade, making them difficult to leave out. Their records also demonstrate their quality in the longest format of the game.
Australia’s premier new-ball bowler, Mitchell Starc, has 451 wickets in 109 Test appearances. Josh Hazlewood, who can perform on almost any type of pitch, has claimed 311 wickets in 80 matches. Regarded as one of the smartest bowlers in the current Australian setup, skipper Pat Cummins has taken 326 wickets in 76 matches. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon leads the group with 573 wickets in 144 matches.
Given their impressive records, there is hardly any room for other bowlers to break into the starting XI. However, an injury to one of the regulars opened the door for Scott Boland during the 2021 Ashes series against England. Since then, his opportunities have largely depended on the availability of the frontline bowlers and the conditions. For the second Test against South Africa, Australia decided to leave out Nathan Lyon to accommodate Boland, considering the conditions and the need to balance the bowling attack.
Since making his Test debut against England in the Boxing Day Test in 2021, Australia has played 45 Test matches, including the ongoing game at St George’s Park, Gqeberha. However, Boland has featured in only 20 of those matches, often missing out as Australia preferred its regular fast bowlers or selected its playing XI based on the conditions. He has missed more than 50% of Australia’s Tests during this period.
Despite his enormous talent and consistency, Boland has unfortunately had to wait for opportunities in Australia’s crowded bowling setup.
So far in his Test career, Boland has picked up 87 wickets, with his best bowling figures being 6 for 7. Will Australia make the tough call to leave out one of its frontline bowlers to accommodate Boland regularly? The answer appears to be no.
Australia is scheduled to tour India early next year for a five-match Test series. However, Boland may not feature in every match, as subcontinental pitches generally favour spin bowling. This makes Nathan Lyon an obvious choice, given his impressive record in India, where he has claimed 56 wickets in 11 matches, with best bowling figures of 8 for 50.
Dropping Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, or Mitchell Starc to make room for Boland appears highly unlikely in the foreseeable future. His best opportunities to feature regularly may come in conditions that favour seam bowling, particularly when Australia opts for an additional fast bowler at the expense of Nathan Lyon.
