Australia vs Sri Lanka: Australia Faces Selection Dilemma with Josh Hazelwood’s Return and Scott Boland’s Future in Sri Lanka Tour

Australia won the Border Gavaskar Trophy 3-1. Josh Hazelwood played in the first Test but was ruled out of the Melbourne Test due to injury. He made a return for the third Test but was sidelined again by a calf injury, missing the final two matches. During Hazelwood’s absence, Scott Boland stepped in and played in three matches, helping the team maintain their strong performance throughout the series.

Pat Cummins will miss the Sri Lanka tour as his wife, Becky, is expecting their second child. This opens up a spot for Scott Boland, who has gained increasing support to be included in Australia’s first-choice XI, even when Josh Hazelwood returns to full fitness.

Pat Cummins praised Scott Boland for his consistency and skill, calling him a reliable and classy bowler. He said:

Whenever he comes in, you just know he is a seasoned pro, he has been doing it for years for Victoria. He’s well and truly good enough in Test cricket. He proves it time and time again. He bowls into the wind a lot of the time as well, so his figures are probably better than they show. You know what you’re going to get from Scotty, and it’s class every day.

Boland may be dropped because Sri Lanka’s conditions favor spin bowling. Australia is expected to play two seamers and two or possibly three spinners. Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy are likely to be Australia’s top spinners for the final series in the WTC 2023-25 cycle against India.