The recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between hosts England and India had its share of sledging incidents in the five Test match series. From the Indian team sieging England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett during the third Test at Lord’s to England team including captain Ben Stokes sledging Indian all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, the series saw it all. With the Bredon McCullum coached and Ben Stoked led England team set to play in The Ashes starting November 21 in Australia later this year, Australian pacer Scott Boland has shared how Australian team does not see it as threat and any sledging by the England team will not worry the Australian team.
“I think we’ve been pretty consistent in the way we’ve played since I’ve been around the squad for the last four years. I think nothing much changed from how we play our cricket. Even going forward, it’s just going to be whoever takes and whoever wins those big moments in the games. And I know we have got match winners with the bat or the ball. So … if they want to sledge, that’s fine. I don’t think it’s going to worry our guys too much.” Boland told reporters in Melbourne.
Since his Test debut in the 2021 Boxing Day Test against England, Boland has played a total of 14 Test matches and has picked up 62 wickets at an average of 16.53. His career bowling average in Tests is the sixth-best bowling average in test history among bowlers who have a minimum of 50 wickets and the best of any bowler in the past 100 years. During Australia’s last Test match against West Indies at Kingston last month, Boland had become just the tenth Australian bowler to take a hat-trick. The test also saw Australia playing four pacers in the form of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Bolland and it was the first time that Australia left a fit Nathan Lyon for the first time in 12 years. With Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins available, it also meant that Boland had to miss mostly in Test cricket. During this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Boland picked up 21 wickets in three Tests including a ten-wicket haul in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. 36-year-old Boland also talked about how the presence of four pacers in the form of him, Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood help each one of them to prolong their career. “I think it is going to help in the long run. We’ve spoken about it before, that we can … sort of help each other’s career (go for) a bit longer. Obviously I’m not playing as much white ball cricket over the last few years, so I feel that it helps that I am bowling with the same ball all the time and I don’t have to change my skills too much, whereas the other guys are playing all around the world in all different (formats). In the long run, it is going to help us keep going and help me keep going for as long as I can. I don’t want to put a time on when I’m going to finish up. Whenever that will be will be up to the coach and the selectors. I just want to keep going and keep my body as good as I can for as long as I can,” added Boland.
With Cameron Green too being fully fit in time for The Ashes, Boland also believes that he does not see Australia playing four pacers together again. The 36-year-old pacer also shared how Lyon remains one of the strengths for the Australian team and he only hopes that Australia play four pacers, something which will not happen in Australia keeping in mind Lyon’s form. “I hope so, but probably not in Australia. With our wickets, generally, Nathan is one of the best spin bowlers in the world (and) thinks he can bowl in any conditions. He’s probably been the glue to our bowling line-up over the last few years. And then I probably see Greenie coming back and bowling a lot more … so that probably hurts the chances of four quicks as well,” said Boland.
