Australia has made only one change for the second Test against India, as confirmed by captain Pat Cummins on Thursday. Scott Boland will replace injured paceman Josh Hazlewood. The pink-ball match at the Adelaide Oval is set to commence on Friday, with Boland making his first Test appearance since the Ashes series in England last year.
The 35-year-old Boland has been everyone’s favorite since his incredible debut in 2021, where he took wickets 6-7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against England. Cummins believes that for Adelaide, Boland should be the first choice since he shows consistency and can bowl well by taking advantage of the conditions as well.
“Adelaide traditionally offers some nip, which suits Scotty well,” Cummins said. “He’s reliable, consistent, and ready to bowl long spells if needed.”
Meanwhile, Marsh has been cleared to bowl by the Australian medical team despite coming in with back stiffness. Marsh’s fitness is much-needed good news as the Australians seek to bounce back from a 295-run defeat in the Perth opener.
The Indian team hasn’t announced its playing XI for the second match of the five-Test series, part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.
Australia’s playing XI is more or less the same: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland.
The Adelaide Test is one that Australia needs to win desperately as they face a third consecutive home Test defeat for the first time since 1988. Despite extreme criticism after their Perth loss, Cummins said that his team has shown immense resilience.
“We have faced such challenges before and bounced back. We know we were not at our best last week, but we are determined to rectify that,” he said.
Australia has an impeccable record in pink-ball Tests at Adelaide, and they would look to do likewise against a formidable Indian side.
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