AUS vs IND, Brisbane Test: Hazlewood replaces Boland as Australia look to regain dominance at the Gabba
Australian captain Pat Cummins announced on Friday that pacer Josh Hazlewood would return to the playing XI for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India in Brisbane, replacing Scott Boland.
FollowAustralian captain Pat Cummins announced on Friday that pacer Josh Hazlewood would return to the playing XI for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India in Brisbane, replacing Scott Boland. Hazlewood has recovered from the side strain that sidelined him during last week’s Pink Ball Test in Adelaide. Cummins expressed confidence in Hazlewood's fitness and ability to perform without any "hiccups."
"He had a really good bowl yesterday, he had another bowl in Adelaide a couple of days previously. Him and the medical team are really confident," he said on the eve of the game at the Gabba.
Cummins revealed that during the match in Perth, he had to take the ball away from Hazlewood to prevent his injury from worsening.
"We've seen it a few times where Josh has pushed through to get through a Test match and a little bit of soreness turns into a month or two of injury. So, we made the call then that it probably wasn't worth the risk of keeping him bowling. I think he bowled an extra two overs leading into tea break and he said it felt ok, but I just kind of thought from there, 'that's enough'," said Cummins.
The Australian captain expressed sympathy for Scott Boland, who made an impressive comeback to Test cricket in Adelaide after last year’s Ashes. Boland claimed a five-wicket haul in the match, including the crucial dismissal of India’s star batter Virat Kohli in the second innings.
"It's tough. He was fantastic in Adelaide. Unfortunately, he's spent quite a bit of time on the bench over the last 18 months and whenever he plays he's fantastic. It's a shame for Scotty, but still a fair bit to play out this series. I'd be surprised if he didn't play again in this series," said the New South Wales player.
Green is fading at Gabba ahead of the clash
The green tinge on the Brisbane pitch had significantly faded by the eve of the match.
Once a stronghold for Australia, the 'Gabba' was famously breached by India during the 2020-21 series, ending the hosts' unbeaten run at the venue since 1988. Following that, the West Indies also defeated Australia at the Gabba, thanks to a stellar performance by pacer Shamar Joseph.
"I looked at it yesterday – it looked like a good wicket, like it has been the last few years," said Cummins.
"A bit of sun baking it the last couple of days (means) I don't think it's as green and leafy as it was against South Africa," he said.
Cummins was alluding to the 2022 Test against South Africa at the Gabba, which concluded within two days.
The 31-year-old, however, downplayed his team’s recent struggles at the Brisbane venue, choosing not to read too much into them.
"It's just a venue really. We play at dozens and dozens of venues each year. It's always good coming back to a place that's familiar … but the scoreboard starts at 0-0, so the venue isn't the be-all and end-all," he added.
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