Summary:
- Scott Boland says keeping Joe Root quiet will be Australia’s primary focus in the Ashes.
- Boland is returning to the XI after injuries to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
- He believes home conditions will work in Australia’s favour after a tough 2023 tour.
Scott Boland has made it clear who he thinks Australia needs to contain when The Ashes begin: Joe Root.
It isn’t unusual for Australia to pick out one English player to focus on. Glenn McGrath famously did it before every series, and Michael Clarke once told his bowlers to shut down Alastair Cook during the 5–0 sweep in 2013-14.
This time around, Root is the name being circled, partly because he has never scored a Test hundred in Australia and partly because he remains England’s most reliable batter.
You always want to take down the best players. In the past when Joe Root has been captain you want to try to make sure they have as little impact as you can. England have quite a few good batters we’ll be looking to do that to.
Boland’s good track record against Root is well-known, as the Aussie managed to dismiss his English opponent four times in the last Ashes series held in Australia.
Hopefully we can keep Joe Root and the guys in the middle-order pretty quiet.
England, Boland’s Achilles’ Heel
Boland’s first Ashes series was unforgettable, highlighted by his remarkable 6-7 at the MCG, which helped him finish with 18 wickets at an average under 10.
His overall Test record since then has been almost as shocking, with 62 wickets in 14 matches at 16.53. Prior to his feat, only two other bowlers who were active in the 1800s had taken that many wickets at a better average.
However, Boland’s hiccup occurred during the 2023 Ashes in England, when the team’s aggressive approach sent his bowling figures sky-high, with just two wickets at 115.50.
The 36-year-old took his time reassessing what happened and “learned a lot” from it.
I’ve reflected on that tour a fair bit. There will be tweaks to my gameplan for what I want to do, but I don’t think I need to change too much. I just need to execute a bit better.
When Asked whether he has anything to prove now, he said only, “Only to myself“.
Boland wasn’t expected to start this series, but injuries to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have pushed him into the XI for the first Test. He will line up with Mitchell Starc and likely Brendan Doggett, the 31-year-old quick who has yet to make his Test debut.
“Obviously you don’t want to be missing two great players like Josh and Pat”, Boland said. But he pointed to Australia’s depth and Doggett’s experience. “He knows what he’s going to need to do to express his skills out on the big stage.“
Cummins may return for the second Test, but for now, Australia’s attack rests in the hands of fresh combinations on fast, spacious Australian grounds.
Boland thinks those conditions will help. “Balls that would go over the fence in England have a longer way to go” in Australia, he said, noting it affects England’s bowlers just as much as their batters.
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