AGL 40.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-0.32%)
AIRLINK 193.21 Increased By ▲ 3.78 (2%)
BOP 10.06 Decreased By ▼ -0.28 (-2.71%)
CNERGY 7.06 Decreased By ▼ -0.15 (-2.08%)
DCL 10.37 Increased By ▲ 0.16 (1.57%)
DFML 40.89 Decreased By ▼ -0.91 (-2.18%)
DGKC 105.40 Decreased By ▼ -3.23 (-2.97%)
FCCL 37.90 Decreased By ▼ -0.69 (-1.79%)
FFBL 93.30 Increased By ▲ 3.39 (3.77%)
FFL 15.10 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (0.53%)
HUBC 122.20 Decreased By ▼ -1.03 (-0.84%)
HUMNL 14.40 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.35%)
KEL 6.13 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-3.31%)
KOSM 8.27 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-1.55%)
MLCF 48.40 Decreased By ▼ -1.07 (-2.16%)
NBP 72.79 Decreased By ▼ -2.03 (-2.71%)
OGDC 218.00 Increased By ▲ 4.59 (2.15%)
PAEL 33.83 Increased By ▲ 0.84 (2.55%)
PIBTL 9.56 Increased By ▲ 0.49 (5.4%)
PPL 199.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.93 (-0.47%)
PRL 33.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.75 (-2.17%)
PTC 27.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-0.77%)
SEARL 119.20 Increased By ▲ 1.01 (0.85%)
TELE 9.68 Decreased By ▼ -0.20 (-2.02%)
TOMCL 36.50 Increased By ▲ 1.08 (3.05%)
TPLP 12.08 Decreased By ▼ -0.49 (-3.9%)
TREET 24.16 Increased By ▲ 1.87 (8.39%)
TRG 61.00 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (0.16%)
UNITY 35.87 Decreased By ▼ -0.82 (-2.23%)
WTL 1.80 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.56%)
BR100 12,087 Decreased By -78 (-0.64%)
BR30 37,798 Increased By 18.2 (0.05%)
KSE100 113,515 Decreased By -666 (-0.58%)
KSE30 35,420 Decreased By -281.8 (-0.79%)

MELBOURNE: Australian seamer Scott Boland was Sunday confirmed to start the Boxing Day second Test in Melbourne ahead of an “underdone” Josh Hazlewood, while South Africa suggested they could shake up their batting line up.

Boland replaced injured fast bowler Hazlewood in the opening Test at Brisbane and was a key performer with his red-hot form making him virtually undroppable.

He is now assured of another game on his home ground – where he took an incredible 6-7 on debut against England a year ago, cementing himself into Ashes folklore.

Skipper Pat Cummins told reporters the team was unchanged from the side that won by six wickets inside two days on a hostile bowler-friendly Gabba pitch in Brisbane last week, the first of a three-match series.

“We gave Joshy every chance, (but) it just got to a stage where (he) more than anyone else felt like he was a little bit underdone,” he said.

“It’s a mark of the man really, he himself said ‘don’t feel quite right’, so he kind of pulled himself out of selection.

“We talk a lot about how (as) a team we need a squad mentality, and I think it’s another great example.”

Hazlewood missed Australia’s last two Tests in Adelaide and Brisbane due to a side strain but had been training hard in the build-up to Melbourne, where hot and humid conditions are expected.

Boland has taken 25 wickets at 10.33 since his debut at the MCG a year ago and said Friday he was hoping his local knowledge would give him the edge over Hazlewood.

The Boxing Day Test will be David Warner’s 100th, with the opener striving to end a lean run that has seen some question his position in the side.

He is just 78 runs shy of 8,000 Test runs and has vowed to get back to his best.

“This might be a wicket where I can go out and play like the old me,” he said.

Change

After his batsmen largely failed to fire in Brisbane – where they were bowled out for 152 and 99 – South African captain Dean Elgar said a change could be afoot.

He was not willing to go into details, although middle-order batsman Theunis de Bruyn has been tipped to come in.

“The little bit I can give away is our bowlers retain their spots,” he said.

“There’s probably a change amongst the batters.”

South Africa’s batting struggles in Brisbane followed some poor displays earlier in the year, with only Sarel Erwee and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne making centuries since the start of the 2021/22 season.

Despite this, batting coach Justin Sammons backed them to come good as the series progresses.

“We’ve got to keep the belief and the players do have the belief,” he said.

Australia’s Warner defiant ahead of 100th Test

“We haven’t played to our potential in the last couple of Tests and we are also determined to get it right. The guys are out there doing their best behind the scenes and I’m confident that they are going to get it right.”

Australia team: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (capt), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

Comments

Comments are closed.