Scott Boland or Scotty as he’s famously called by his teammates in the Australia side, is one heck of a talent. Isn’t he? For someone who made his Test debut it for Australia not before the age of 32,
by which time the team was already seeing the famed trinity of Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood taking strong shape, it was never easy to break in nor was it to stay put.
This, after all, is one of the most gruelling and world class sides in all of world cricket where despite massive talent and reckoning, no one’s ever guaranteed a long stand or chance in the playing eleven.
Even then, for the man who destroyed South Africa as seen in the opening day of the 2nd Test during the rain-affected day, has made it count.
With his high arm action and rhythmic approach to the popping crease, the always focused and quietly intelligent bowler rocked through the Proteas top and middle order to leave the hosts reeling at 97 for 5, before captain Temba Bavuma restored some dignity to a scoreboard going nowhere with a customary focused 41 unbeaten run knock off 108 deliveries on a day where Boland was simply hard to face.
Also Read | Paid the price for cricketers around the world: Justin Langer links 2018 sandpapergate to decline of reverse swing
Let alone score vehemently against!
In taking 4 of the five South Africa wickets that fell on a listless day for the hosts as seen at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, Boland also removed the most important batter in that entire line up in the form of Aiden Markram, the man who top scored for his team in the fourth innings of the previous game scoring a valiant half century that didn’t prove to be enough to tackle the visitors.
But Boland, the daunting Victorian, generating seam movement and pace on a hard surface also got the key wickets of Bedingham, Ackerman among the others.
The Transvaal batter earned his first runs in the ongoing Test but couldn’t last all that long against the vehemence and brilliance of Scott Boland, who’d remove the gritty left hander for just 6, though he’d hung around for 38 deliveries.
The well built strength giver to the current Australian test bowling line up had last played a Test prior to this game in January during the fifth Test against England. In that particular Ashes contest which the Aussies had won, Boland was amid business as usual as he claimed the big key wickets of revered talents such as Root, Carse and even Harry Brook in that particular Test.
But this time around, the man who’d already picked 82 wickets from just 19 red ball appearances prior to the current contest, made life out there a test of nerves for the Proteas batters.
They’d still feel glad to see their captain unbeaten out there. But for how much longer with Boland in great form courtesy a fine 4-for-31 and with so much cricket still to be played in this game?
