A telling comment from Australian skipper Pat Cummins has all but confirmed cult hero Scott Boland will not rejoin the bowling attack for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan.
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WILD THING OUT OF AUSSIE SQUAD FOR BOXING DAY TEST
Australia has made one change to its 13-man squad for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan as Lance Morris makes way for Scott Boland.
Despite calls for Morris to be handed his Test debut in his home state, the familiar pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood took the game to Pakistan.
Chair of selectors George Bailey confirmed Morris’ absence but highlighted he “remains firmly” in Australia’s selection plans for the rest of the summer.
“Lance has been released for the Melbourne match but will stay prepared for Test cricket as he remains firmly in our plans for the summer, should an opportunity arise,” Bailey said.
The rest of the squad remains the same from the first Test in Perth.
SKIPPER’S TELLING COMMENT SPELLS BAD NEWS FOR BOLAND
Australian skipper Pat Cummins has all but shut the door on a recall for Scott Boland in the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan after stating he expects a “pretty similar” line-up in Melbourne.
The Aussies smashed Pakistan in a 360-run victory inside four days, giving the team a handy day off.
Crucially, it allows the bowling attack to enjoy an extra day of rest instead of toiling away in the Perth heat at Optus Stadium.
The iconic Boxing Day Test is seven days away and barring any of the bowlers sustain an injury between now and then, Cummins doesn’t think there will be too much change in the bowling rotation.
“We’ll take stock over the next couple of days, but I think all the bowlers are pretty fresh after that; it’s basically the ideal start to the summer,” Cummins said.
“We’ll get to Melbourne. It’s still a week or so until the next game, but I don’t think injuries are going to be an issue, so I dare say it will be a pretty similar line-up.”
Cummins’ comments means bad news for Victorians hoping to see cult hero Boland in action at the MCG.
Boland famously took absurd figures of 6-7 against England two summers ago and also played in the last Boxing Day Test against South Africa.
The Victorian is jostling with fellow fast bowler Lance Morris to feature in Australia’s bowling attack this summer.
QUESTIONS OVER ‘VOLATILE’ AND ‘RISKY’ PERTH PITCH
The “volatile” Perth pitch has to be fixed or the opening Test of the summer should be returned to the more “trustworthy” wicket at the Gabba in Brisbane according to Australian great Ian Healy.
Poor crowds and an extreme amount of deterioration which even surprised the touring Pakistan team has cast doubt over whether Optus Stadium should again be given hosting rights for the first international match of the summer.
A staggering 18 wickets fell on the fourth day, after just 12 across the opening two days, with Pakistan rolled for just 89 in the second innings as all batters, even the Australian’s struggled with the variable bounce and sideways movement.
Marnus Labuschagne was hit on the finger and sent for scans, and Steve Smith copped a nasty blow late on day three before Usman Khawaja was also hit on the arm and Mitch Marsh struck on the helmet twice on what was the final day.
While happy to take another victory for the Aussies at the new ground, which some have suggested could become the home team’s new fortress, even captain Pat Cummins conceded it was a “ probably a bit more challenging” than both teams would have liked.
“It probably broke up, today in particular, a lot more than I thought it would. There were big cracks and there was a bit more up and down than I was expecting,” he said after the swift conclusion on day four.
“But overall I thought it was a good wicket … It’s probably a bit more (challenging) than you ideally want for a day-four wicket.”
Former Test keeper Healy pointed to preparation issues and with his Queensland hat on suggested the Gabba, where Australia has traditionally begun the home summer and with great success, could be a better option.
“I think it’s a little bit volatile, quite a risky pitch,” he told SEN.
“Even though it was moist and green on day one they have real trouble keeping that moisture in the pitch then it cracks up way too early, on day three, the Aussies were having trouble, up and down bounce, and hitting the body.
“When you hear batsmen say you need a little bit of luck and take a few on the body and you might get through, that is day five stuff. I think they’ve got to find a way to retain moisture in that pitch it’s a more trustworthy surface.
“I think the Gabba is the most trustworthy surface you can start a season on. It bounces, it seams, it can swing and the spinners can bowl OK on and it and the batsmen make runs on it. I think Perth was a little too volatile for everyone’s liking.”
Simon O-Donnell also criticised the pitch as “too unpredictable” and unlikely to be “equipped” for a fifth day of cricket.
“When balls are dangerous, that’s my problem. I have no problem with a ball lifting out of the norm but not lifting to the extent of one or two feet. When you see a world-class batsman in Mitch Marsh get hit twice on the helmet by a guy bowling 123 kilometres an hour… I don’t think that’s acceptable,” he said on SEN.
Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez wasn’t happy with how quickly the wicket became challenging.
“The amount of deterioration we witnessed, I wasn’t expecting that much because on the fourth day the deterioration in the pitch was really high,” he said.
“We believe it was a good toss to the win for Australia. They managed to put runs on the board and then obviously batting in the fourth innings and on the fourth and fifth day is going to be a real challenge and we couldn’t do that, to be honest.”
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