Staggering call made on Scott Boland amid fears of Aussie cricket hero's axing for Sri Lanka Tests

Boland could be axed in Sri Lanka despite starring in Australia's series victory over India.

Indian cricket great Ravi Ashwin has made the stunning claim that Australia would have lost the Border-Gavaskar series if not for the inclusion of Scott Boland. The Victorian quick came in for the injured Josh Hazlewood and starred for the Aussies, with his 10 wickets in the fifth Test at the SCG helping the home side clinch the series 3-1 and earning him player of the match honours.

Boland didn't play the first Test in Perth as India clinched victory but did come into the side for Australia's victory in Adelaide as Hazlewood was ruled out with injury. Boland was dropped again for the rain-affected third Test at the Gabba that ended in a draw but was arguably the pick of Australia's bowlers in the final two matches as the Aussies wrapped up the series to snap a long drought against India.

There are suggestions Scott Boland could be dropped from Australia's Test side in the spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka. Pic: Getty
There are suggestions Scott Boland could be dropped from Australia's Test side in the spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka. Pic: Getty

With the series delicately poised at 1-1 going into the final two Tests, Aswin says it was the inclusion of Boland at the MCG and SCG that ultimately won it for Australia. “The series was on the line till the last session in Sydney. What a great series it was. As pure cricket, it was a class series, outstanding. Australia won the series after a tough fight till the last day,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

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“People said that Australia captain Pat Cummins had a great series but he struggled against our left-handed batters. Australia were lucky to have a replacement like Scott Boland. If Boland had not played, India would have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was spot on against our left-handed batters."

India cricket great Ravi Ashwin says Scott Boland is the reason Australia won the Border-Gavaskar series. Pic: Getty
India cricket great Ravi Ashwin says Scott Boland is the reason Australia won the Border-Gavaskar series. Pic: Getty

Ashwin says his critique has nothing to do with the quality of Hazlewood's bowling but said Boland's tactic of bowling around the wicket to India's left-handed batters was telling. "No offence to Josh Hazlewood; he's a fantastic bowler. But if they had continued with the same attack, we would have won. Boland's round-the-wicket deliveries to our left-handers were a major factor," Ashwin added.

Boland took a staggering 21 wickets at an average of 13.19 in the three matches he played, with the 35-year-old also grabbing six scalps in his home Test at the MCG. It's the sort of form that's seen the quick described as 'undroppable' by many fans, despite suggestions Boland could once again miss out when the Aussies tour Sri Lanka this month.

With a spin-friendly pitch expected for the two Tests in Galle, there are suggestions Aussie selectors will only go with one frontline quick, at least two spinners and impressive rookie Beau Webster as their all-rounder. There is a growing sense Australia might even go with three spinners, which all spells bad news for Boland, with stalwart Mitchell Starc likely to picked as Australia's pace spearhead.

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The Aussies have three seamers in their squad (Starc, Boland and Sean Abbott), with Pat Cummins staying at home for the birth of his second child and Josh Hazlewood kept on ice due to recent injuries. But the presence of seam-bowling all-rounder Webster means he can take the new ball, lessening the need for a second paceman.

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Australia went with three spinners in the XI the last time they toured India in 2023, but on the previous Sri Lanka tour in 2022 there was only two (Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson). But with the spinners taking the bulk of wickets on the last tour, it's likely Australia will opt to have three in the XI in Sri Lanka.

A number of pundits reckon Sam Konstas and Scott Boland might be left out of the first Test against Sri Lanka. Image: Getty
A number of pundits reckon Sam Konstas and Scott Boland might be left out of the first Test against Sri Lanka. Image: Getty

Starc is likely to get the nod ahead of Boland if only one seamer is selected, as the Aussies love his ability to create foot-marks for Lyon to bowl into. It would be a brutal call to leave Boland out after his heroics against India, which saw him rocket to No.10 in the ICC's Test bowler rankings (Starc is 14th). But leading cricket writer Adam White is among those to predict Boland will be the unlucky man to miss out again.

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“For the bowlers, I think they’ll have (Mitchell) Starc, (Todd) Murphy, (Nathan) Lyon and (Matthew) Kuhnemann. That’s what I think the XI will be based on the squad that’s selected," White said. He also predicted Travis Head's expected promotion to opener will see Josh Inglis handed his Test debut in the middle order, Usman Khawaja retain his spot at opener and Sam Konstas axed from the starting XI.