Australia v South Africa: Josh Hazlewood confident of denying Scott Boland on Boxing Day

Australia’s selectors face one of the biggest selection calls in recent memory ahead of the Boxing Day, with one decision could spark a riot at the MCG.

Josh Hazlewood’s proven record over 58 Tests could prompt the stunning call to drop Melbourne cult hero Scott Boland for Boxing Day.

In one of the biggest selection calls in recent memory, growing confidence over Hazlewood’s return to fitness from a side strain is poised to put Boland’s place under serious jeopardy despite the fury it could spark amongst the wicket-taking phenomenon’s legion of Victorian fans.

Boland famously took 6-7 at the MCG on Boxing Day last year, and with scintillating performances at Adelaide Oval and the Gabba in Hazlewood’s absence this summer, the 33-year-old has well and truly proven that his Ashes miracle was no fluke.

However, Hazlewood was rated higher in the pecking order than Boland at the start of the summer, and unless selectors have changed their minds on the status of one of the most reliable fast bowlers in Australian Test history, Boland fans could have their hearts broken at the MCG.

Asked when Boland becomes undroppable, National Selector George Bailey said: “Well, he becomes undroppable when we think he’s in the best three fast bowlers.”

A potentially stunning recall for Hazlewood is all predicated on whether the big quick can satisfy Australian medicos he’s fully recovered from a minor side strain. But early signs are pointing to the fact he will be available for selection.

Hazlewood has missed the past two Tests with a side strain. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

“It’s a good problem to have. I can’t state it any other way,” Bailey said on Monday.

“You couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Effectively Uzzie (Usman Khawaja) was in the same position last summer. Travis (Head) gets the nod in the first Test (at Khawaja’s home ground, the Gabba). Uzzie waits, gets his opportunity and grabs it.

“And that’s a really important part of what this team is at the moment, that when that opportunity is there you grab it. You come in, there’s a really clear role you can perform.

“Barrel (Boland) is doing it, he’s been fantastic. Hoff (Hazlewood) has obviously done it for a very, very long time as well.”

Before the summer started, Bailey indicated Boland was again being lined up as a Boxing Day specialist.

Scott Boland. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty

But injuries to Hazlewood and Pat Cummins after the first Test against the West Indies in Perth changed the pattern of how the bowlers’ workloads would pan out this summer – as has a two-day Test in Brisbane which gives the quicks a massive rest before Boxing Day.

That’s not the only thing that’s changed, however.

Boland has proven he is just as prolific away from the MCG.

“I’d have to retract that because I think he’s become a specialist everywhere a little bit,” Bailey said of Boland.

“He was on the radar for the MCG last year because of exactly what we’ve seen him do.

“He bashes a length, I think his ability to take multiple wickets in the same over speaks to how consistent he is and the questions he asks of the batter right from ball one. He’s going fantastically.

“Josh is recovering really well. Had another really good hit out (on Sunday) and is close to 90 per cent I reckon.

“What are we seven days out from that Test? He’ll keep building and clearly we’ve got a decision to make but it’s a good problem to have. I’m really glad that it is a tough decision to make.”

Bailey admits he shudders at the prospect of ruling Boland out of playing in Melbourne, but happily points out the other two members of his selection panel are Victorians in coach, Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide.

“It’s very important to have two Victorian selectors on the panel. Tony Dodemaide and Andrew McDonald will be in charge of that,” Bailey said with tongue in cheek.

Starc’s rise from Mr Expendable to truly exceptional

Robert Craddock

Mitchell Starc took his 300th Test wicket at the Gabba and it could not have been a better signature ball if he had taken out a ballpoint pen and autographed the green deck.

Full pitched and jagging back between Rassie van der Dussen’s bat and pad to rock the off-stump, this wicked delivery was the absolute embodiment of Starc’s starkest work.

Starc has become cricket’s latest 300-wicket man, but there are other hidden numbers that reveal the fibre he needed to get there.

Like 33. Starc will head off to Melbourne this week to play the Boxing Test, but it took him 33 Tests and five years after his first Test to play that iconic fixture for the first time, such were his early challenges.

And there’s this set of figures – 2, 1, 1, 2, 2 – that reinforce a similar theme.

These were the number of Tests he played in his first five series when he was in, out, up, down … Australia’s very own Mr Expendable.

Starc didn’t spring out of the blocks like a Glenn McGrath, Pat Cummins or Waqar Younis. After 15 Tests his bowling average was 35.

Australia’s selectors were scratching their chins. Shane Warne called him soft. The selectors disagreed but they were not sure, despite being pacy and promising, he would ever be the full package and wondered whether, as a sensitive man, his greatest opponent could be himself.

Starc is an underrated bowler and the fact that he has spurned the Indian Premier League for seven years because Test wickets mean more than money to him make this an appropriate reward.

Mitch Starc salutes the crowd after claiming his 300th Test wicket. Picture: Patrick HAMILTON / AFP

Others top-liners have played more Tests than his 74, many were more economical. Starc’s average of around 27 runs per wicket puts him among the “truly exceptionals’’, if not quite the greats.

But there is simply no disputing the golden stud in his record, which is the most underrated stat of all – strike rate.

Of all the great bowlers above him in the 300 Test wicket club, only blue bloods Dale Steyn, Fred Trueman, Waqar Younis and Allan Donald took Test wickets at a better strike rate than he did. It’s a precious skill because it means his best work contains the most threatening fare of this or any era.

The 300 club is littered with men whose path to greatness seemed almost pre-ordained – former wicketkeeper Starc had to work exceptionally hard for everything he has achieved.

Early in his career his face and his body language told of his lack of confidence, but time and experience made him a stronger man. Outside noise which once wounded him was either blocked out or used as a motivating force.

“I saw him when he was he was youngster,’’ said Usman Khawaja.

“I was there when he made his debut for NSW. I played second XI with him.

“He was a very emotional young kid. I always give him a bit of stick about that because it is nice to see the journey he has made from that stage.

“He always had the skills but it was always a case of what was going on up here (in the head), which is the case for a lot of players, and he has found his way through it.

“He has had a lot of ups and downs and that just makes you stronger as a person.

“Now he doesn’t listen too much to the white noise. He knows what he has to do. He has actually got a lot more skills now than before. When he was young he used to try and swing it but when it stopped swinging he did not have much else. Now he swings it, he has wobble seam and a lot more accuracy.”

Khawaja lauded Starc for fighting “his emotional battles’’ because “he is mean on the field but he has a sensitive side you don’t see either.’’

Certainly South Africa has not seen that side at the Gabba.

Will cult hero KO teammate for Boxing Day?

– Ben Horne

Cult hero Scott Boland may have cornered Australia’s selectors into giving him a second Boxing Day Test at the expense of previously undroppable champion Josh Hazlewood.

The irrepressible Boland spearheaded Australia’s day one bowling domination of South Africa, and the hero’s cheer he received at the Gabba gave some indication of the riot that would occur at the MCG next week if the Victorian is axed from the line-up for the one-year anniversary of his 6-7.

Boland carved a path towards another Boxing Day Test after knocking over two key South African top order wickets, but selectors could face a massive call with Hazlewood back bowling in the nets after a side strain and pushing for a return.

National Selector George Bailey indicated before the summer that Boland would be hard to leave out on Boxing Day.

But that was before early-season injuries to Hazlewood and Pat Cummins changed Australia’s anticipated workloads by Melbourne, and there will be no need for rest to come into play now.

Hazlewood said on the eve of the summer – before his injury – that he was not about to hand over a Boxing Day start to Boland, and after bowling on Friday, he will bowl again in the nets on Sunday to push his case for a return.

Scott Boland (R) could relegate Josh Hazlewood (L) to 12th man for the Boxing Day Test. Picture: Darrian Traynor/CA/Getty

“I would like a chance on a different MCG wicket like last year. That would be nice,” Hazlewood said on the eve of the first Test against the West Indies, when asked whether the quicks were resigned to Boland coming in again for Boxing Day.

“I think I’ve played six or seven games on very, very benign (MCG) wickets. I wouldn’t mind something similar to last year and having a crack.

“Scotty’s record is obviously pretty good – one from one – so we’ll see what happens.”

Skipper Cummins admitted before the Gabba Test against South Africa that the looming Boland v Hazlewood conundrum made him glad he was not a selector.

“Maybe for the selectors (having a headache), not for me, I can pretend I was on both of their sides,” said Cummins.

Scott Boland in action at the Gabba. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

“We’ve got 15 Test matches in this six- seven month block so we knew it was going to be a squad feel.

“It’s a good problem to have, even (Boland) missing that first Test you know that when he’s going to be called upon, he’s kind of that fresh bowler into your team.

“It’s almost naturally, rotation takes care of itself and hopefully when you’re picking them they’re all fresh and fine.”

Boland’s starring role on a Gabba green top made Channel 7 commentator Simon Katich glance a little further down the track when assessing the threat Boland now possesses to Hazlewood’s status as an automatic pick.

Katich made the bold call, that he would be starting Boland over Hazlewood when the first Ashes Test arrives in the UK next June.

“(These are the perfection conditions for Boland) and I think that is why he is one of the first players on the team sheet come June-July next year in the Ashes in England,” Katich said on Seven.

I think he’s almost - he is a must in this team now, with what he’s done in his first few Test Matches. It’s been great to watch.

“And that’s certainly no disrespect to Josh Hazlewood, who has got a fine Test record.

“But, I think it’s more about the impact that Scott Boland’s had, but also his skill set in those English conditions where you do need to bowl a fuller length, present the seam and challenge the stumps.

“It’s something he does very, very well.”

Originally published as Australia v South Africa: Josh Hazlewood confident of denying Scott Boland on Boxing Day