“Scott Boland might never play a test match again,” Ricky Ponting makes shocking prediction about Australian debutant
Scott Boland grabbed 6 wickets in the second innings of third Ashes test at MCG
Scott Boland might have grabbed a five-wicket haul in the second innings of his very first test match against England at MCG, but the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting thinks the MCG test might prove to be the last test of Boland’s career.
According to Ricky Ponting, two of the Australian fast bowlers that are injured at the moment, Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson, both are ahead of Scott Boland in the pecking order of test fast bowlers for Australia. It’s very much possible that one of them gets fit for the next test match at SCG, and in that case, Boland might lose his place in the Australian playing XI.
While Josh Hazlewood is an established member of the Australian attack and will be the first choice to get into the XI whenever he is fit anyway, Jhye Richardson also grabbed a five-wicket haul in the Adelaide Test. Ponting is of the view since Jhye was given his opportunity before Boland and he didn’t do anything wrong, he should be drafted into the XI when he regains his fitness.
Ponting, while talking to cricket.com.au, admitted that leaving Boland out after what he did at MCG might be very harsh on him because he bowled an immaculate line and length on the second and the third day of the game, but the team management might still have to make that call. And, if Boland indeed gets dropped, it might be difficult for him to come back because he is already 33 years of age.
Scott Boland was picked because of his extraordinary first-class stats at MCG
Before the MCG test match, another fast bowler Michael Neser was also ahead of Scott Boland in the pecking order of fast bowlers for Australia, but the team management made the big call of dropping Neser for Boland because of the stats of Boland in Sheffield Shield cricket at MCG.
Since he plays domestic cricket for Victoria, Boland was supposed to be well aware of the MCG pitch and the way he bowled, he certainly proved he was the right choice for the Boxing Day game.
