NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Mitchell Starc is likely to link up with skipper Pat Cummins in Australia’s pace attack for the second test against India, but Scott Boland hopes he has made the selectors’ task difficult with his disciplined display in the opening match in Nagpur.
Australia were hammered by an innings and 132 runs inside three days in Nagpur, but Boland, despite going wicketless in his first test outside Australia, impressed with his tidy bowling on a slow track where spinners ruled the roost.
Starc, who missed the opener with a finger injury, is set to be Australia’s second quick in Delhi, while the tourists might field three spinners should all-rounder Cameron Green, also recovering from a finger injury, be fit to play.
Boland told reporters he hoped his bowling in Nagpur “made the selectors’ job a little tougher” when measuring him against Starc, “who is a gun in these conditions and has bowled really well in Sri Lanka and Pakistan”.
“In places like here, it is tough to judge a fast bowler but I think I contributed to our game plan and I played my role pretty well,” said the 33-year-old, who, along with spinner Todd Murphy, managed to keep the India batsmen in check in Nagpur.
“I think I had a pretty good spell in conjunction with Toddy a couple of times. So I was happy with how the ball came out.”
It has been a chastening experience for the lanky Victorian, but Boland is keen to play.
“I enjoyed the challenge of bowling in these different conditions,” Boland told reporters.
“I don’t think we’re going to play three fast bowlers.
“There’s only going to be two spots up for grabs I reckon.”
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Sonali Paul)
