Cricket, Australia vs Pakistan: Josh Hazlewood set to be named over Scott Boland for first Test

Australia has all but settled on its line-up for the first Test against Pakistan, with a massive call made on the make-up of the bowling line-up.

Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood are jostling for a spot in the first Test against Pakistan.

Australia is yet to reveal its side for the first Test but coach Andrew McDonald has almost guaranteed a start for Josh Hazlewood and disappointment for Scott Boland.

Boland might be the unluckiest player in history. He took 18 wickets at an average of 9.55 in the last three Tests of the summer when Hazlewood was injured, but the situation is set to play out as The Australian/News Corp predicted earlier in the week.

He was, however, a horses for courses selection who was given a start at the MCG because of his record on his home track and he profited from the seaming conditions.

Hazlewood’s body of work — 56 Tests with 215 wickets at an average of 25.6 — cannot be easily dismissed.

Mitchell Starc’s variation with his left arm and reverse swing make him an invaluable option.

Australia will, however, be alert to rotating the quicks because of the short turn around between Tests.

Coach Andrew McDonald indicated Boland would miss out while talking to Gerard Whateley on Thursday.

“We’ve got a vital option in Scott Boland who is almost forcing the hand of the selectors to say pick me, but the three unfortunately ahead of him have got sensational records and probably get the first ticket,” he said.

McDonald said that workloads, the short turn around and even the factor of bowling in the last innings could see the seamers rotated.

“They have got to be fit to perform, if it is going to be attritional cricket there is going to be some heavy overs put into our fast bowlers early in the series,” he said.

Scott Boland is set to miss out on the first Test.

Josh Hazlewood will return from injury.

It is unlikely two spinners will play in Friday’s first Test at Rawalpindi.

“Everything we have been given in the analytics is that pace and spin seem to be equal but as we head south to Karachi there is a push to spin dominating a bit more there,” McDonald told SEN.

“This is the venue where you could argue that three quicks would be the way to go, pace bowling has had a fair impact here, that’s not to dismiss spin here either, as I said the numbers seem to be equal.

“We’ve got great flexibility, great options, we’ve got Mitchell Swepson waiting in the wings, he’s ready for 18-24 months and then we’ve got Ashton Agar who gives us that variation of left arm spin which in the sub continent is successful.”

McDonald said there is no pecking order for the second spinner.

“We haven’t really got a running line and it will be based on the conditions, the opposition, they’ve got a few moving parts, Haris Rauf’s gone down with Covid, the left and rights, the nature of the surface and who we see the surface unfolding over the five days would change the judgement on a wrist spinner or a leg spinner,” he said.

“If the surfaces were to get really really slow it makes it difficult for the leg spinner and sometimes the finger spin is a better option to fire the ball in.”

McDonald said captain Pat Cummins’ desire for an attacking or controlling role for the bowler would also influence the decision.

Originally published as Cricket, Australia vs Pakistan: Josh Hazlewood set to be named over Scott Boland for first Test