Australian captain Pat Cummins has confirmed that Josh Hazlewood will be fit again in place of Scott Boland for the third Test starting at the Gabba on Saturday. Hazlewood missed the pink ball Test in Adelaide with a side strain.
“Hazlewood will play. Shame on Scotty (Boland), he’s missed a lot in the past. Big series, he might still get a chance. Josh bowled yesterday (at the Allan Border ground and not in the nets at the Gabba),” Cummins told reporters ahead of the third Test. .
“Jose didn’t bowl in the nets here because the length of the run-up was not enough. So we took him to Allan Border Field,” he added.
The Australian captain also revealed why he underbowled Hazlewood in the second innings of the first Test in Perth.
“In the second innings in Perth, the game started to slip, we made the call that pushing Josh to bowl was not worth the risk,” he said.
Cummins praised Scott Boland for his excellent work with the ball in Adelaide.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc, without cap, celebrates with teammates after dismissing India’s Virat Kohli on the first day of the second cricket Test match between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval in Australia. (AP | PTI)
“Boland is amazing in how he is in the group, how he prepares. He has shown that his standards are still high,” he said.
With the series tied 1-1, Cummins is hopeful that the team’s senior pros Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja will return to the Gabba.
“Smithy looks great in the nets. Looking sharp. He’s caught behind the leg, I don’t read too much into it. He’s a leader in the group, has been great,” Cummins said.
‘Khawaja is somewhat like Smithy. Looked good on the net. He loves batting at the Gabba, he knows it well. I hope he will make runs,’ he said.
Former cricketers and experts have termed the current Australian cricket team as an aging team. However, Cummins doesn’t think so, saying: “I think players play longer than they did 15 years ago. We’re big on picking the best X1. We have a system that prepares the youth well. There is no series of bloodletting of youth for the sake of it. ”
On the Gabba pitch, the Australian captain said, “The pitch looks like a good wicket. A little sun. I don’t see it as green as it was against South Africa.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc, left, celebrates dismissing India’s Rishabh Pant, right, during the third day of the second cricket Test match between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval in Australia, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo./James Elsby)
Pat Cummins also spoke candidly about winning in Australia and the pressure of captaining the Australian cricket team.
“Winning in Australia is definitely something to be proud of. You grow up playing here. The hardest thing is to win away from home,” he said.
“There’s always pressure and when you’re captain it’s a lot on you. Nothing new. We didn’t play well in Perth. Some of the other criticisms can be dismissed.”
The Australian captain has warned the Indian dressing room to use the short ball again at the Gabba.
“Bouncers worked in Adelaide. I’ll give it another shot here..”
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