Australian captain Pat Cummins has announced the bowling group for the highly anticipated World Test Championship Final against India, set to begin on Wednesday at The Oval. The major revelation from Cummins’ announcement is the inclusion of Scott Boland as the replacement for the injured Josh Hazlewood, edging out Michael Neser, who was a late addition to the 15-man squad in the UK.
The decision to select Boland was made early Tuesday morning UK time, and while Cummins didn’t disclose the specific playing XI for the final, he assured reporters that there would be “no surprises” in the rest of the team’s composition.
Boland’s selection comes on the back of an impressive start to his Test career, where he has claimed 28 wickets in his first seven matches, averaging an exceptional 13.42. Although the 34-year-old has limited experience in the UK, having toured with the Australian Indigenous side in 2018, Cummins believes Boland won’t require much adjustment to excel in Test cricket on English soil.
Cummins emphasized the importance of simplicity for Boland’s game-plan in England, stating that hitting good areas consistently throughout the day will allow the ball to do the work. The captain expressed confidence in Boland’s abilities and praised his performances whenever he has bowled.
The likely Australian playing XI for the World Test Championship Final includes David Warner and Usman Khawaja opening the innings, followed by Marnus Labuschagne at No.3 and Steve Smith at No.4. Travis Head, Cameron Green, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey are expected to occupy the remaining top seven spots. Pat Cummins will lead the team as captain, accompanied by Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and the newly included Scott Boland.
Probable Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
The World Test Championship Final between Australia and India is scheduled to take place from June 7 to 11 at The Oval.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat