Scott Boland will replace Josh Hazlewood in the Australian XI for the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval and captain Pat Cummins has pinned hopes on the pacer.
“Hopefully huge (impact). These conditions just seem to suit him, you’d think. He hasn’t played a lot over here, but a seam bowler who will be rewarded for just bowling in the good areas over and over again,” Cummins said on Tuesday when asked about Boland, who has taken 28 wickets in seven Tests.
“That’s what he brings to the team. He’s been fantastic. Even in India, he played the first Test match there on a pretty docile wicket and still did a fantastic job. He’s a seasoned pro. If there’s any assistance in the wicket as well, he just goes to that next level.”
Cummins said he is enjoying bowling with the Dukes ball.
“The weather’s been pretty nice all this week and it looks pretty good this week so a bit of a cloudy morning today (Tuesday), but anytime there’s a bit of grass on the wicket the Dukes Ball with some overheads, pretty fun for the quick bowlers.”
He also lauded all-rounder Cameron Green. “He’s fantastic, Greeny. You know last Test match he played, he scored his first hundred. He took a few Test matches before that, he just keeps growing and growing.”
Boland and Green will have for pace company veterans Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Nathan Lyon will be the sole spinner in the XI.
Flower joins camp
London: Former England coach Andy Flower has joined the Australian camp as a consultant, ahead of the WTC final starting Wednesday.
Currently, the coach of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, the former Zimbabwe captain is not expected to be around for the start of the Ashes series, and, ESPNCricinfo reported, would instead join the Pat Cummins-led team at a later stage.
Flower was one of England’s most successful coaches from 2009-2014, guiding them to three consecutive Ashes wins, including Down Under in 2010-11.
As Cummins’ side strive to become the first Australian team to win an Ashes series in England since 2001, Flower would only add to the expectations. The captain said: “(He brings) experience over here, first of all... and knows these conditions really well. So if he can give us one little bit of insight into playing in England that we haven’t thought about then it’s worth it.”
PTI
