Ashes Boxing Day Test: Cummins returns to Australia

Melbourne: Pace bowler Scott Boland will make his debut for Australia in the third Test of the Ashes series (Ashes Boxing Day Test) starting tomorrow in Melbourne. Boland is only the second male cricketer after Jason Gillespie to play for Australia as an Indigenous Cricketer. Boland will replace the injured J Richardson in the third Test after the second Test. Captain Pat Cummins will return as captain. When Cummins returns, Michael Nesser, who played in the Gabba Test, will be out.

The 32-year-old Bolland has played 14 ODIs and three T20Is for Australia in 2016. Melbourne Cricket Ground is the home ground of the Netherlands. He has taken 96 wickets at an average of 25.56 in 27 first – class matches played here. Selected as the best player of the 2018-19 season at the Marsh Sheffield Shield, Scotland are in sparkling form with 15 wickets in two matches against New South Wales.

However, the absence of J Richardson, who took five wickets in the second innings of the Brisbane Test, is expected to backfire on Australia. Former Australia captain and current vice-captain Steve Smith, who led Cummins in his absence, led the team to victory.

Australia can retain the Ashes if they win the Boxing Day Test starting tomorrow in Melbourne. Australia are currently 2-0 up in the five – match series. Australia won by nine wickets at the Gabba and by 275 runs in the day-night Test at Adelaide. England were bowled out for 192 on the fifth day with a target of 468 off the pink ball. The man of the match was Marnus Labushein, who scored 154 runs in two innings.

Last Updated Dec 25, 2021, 2:41 PM IST