Australian pacer Scott Boland’s maiden county stint with Durham was cut short on the first day due to an injury. However, Scott Boland stated that the enforced break is a blessing in disguise as it allows him to better prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against India at home later this year.
Australia’s pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc participated in seven consecutive Test matches last summer. Scott Boland joined Durham for a four-month stint in the County Championship Division One. The pacer arrived over a week before his first match to acclimatize to the conditions.
During Durham’s match at Edgbaston, Scott Boland experienced severe pain on the first day. Boland could barely walk as the pain returned with a vengeance. Warwickshire had scored 346/1 by tea on the first day on a flat pitch at Birmingham, where the pacer helped Australia win an Ashes Test last year.
“I got back up, hobbled out onto the ground, and I knew I was in trouble,” Boland told cricket.com.au.
A post-match x-ray revealed a tear in his right foot’s plantar fascia, requiring at least 10 weeks of rehabilitation. The injury prevented him from developing his skills with the Dukes ball. Boland returned home to Melbourne with disappointment.
Boland’s injury gave him the opportunity to complete a full pre-season with Victoria. Boland said the extra time allowed him to rebuild his fitness and gradually increase his bowling workload. He believes the break will help better prepare him for the five-match series against India.
“It feels a bit like a blessing in disguise,” Boland said.
“I still would have loved to have played and experienced a county season. I haven’t played (much) T20 cricket for three years, so I was really keen to play in the (UK’s T20) Blast.”
“But I think coming home, having a big pre-season which I haven’t had for three or four years as well, having four months in the gym and building up my bowling slowly, I think it’s going to benefit me going into the Tests.”
“I would have come home from England pretty tired – I would have bowled a fair bit and been sore. I think it’s going to be a good thing in the long run.”
Boland made his Test debut against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the last home Ashes series, taking six wickets for seven runs in the second innings. However, he hasn’t been consistently included in Australia’s playing XI due to the presence of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins.
Boland has played in just 10 of Australia’s 30 Tests since his debut. Boland has taken 35 wickets at an average of 20.34 and a strike rate of 43.74, with his best figures being 6/7. The pace bowler boasts the lowest bowling average (20.34) of any Australian bowler with at least 10 Test matches since World War II.
