BGT: Head fit to play, Boland returns to Australia XI for Boxing Day Test
Melbourne, Dec 25 (IANS/GURPUNEET SIDHU) Travis Head has been passed fit to play while fast bowler Scott Boland returned to Australia’s playing XI for the Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India.
Captain Pat Cummins confirmed Australia would make two changes for the fourth Test in Melbourne, with Sam Konstas to debut and Boland coming in for the injured Josh Hazlewood.
Speaking about Head, who had suffered a quad strain during the Brisbane Test, Cummins said the left-hander ticked all the boxes during the stringent fitness test and was ultimately declared fit to play the fourth Test of the five-match series, currently tied at 1-1.
“Trav’s good to go, he’ll play. He just ticked off some final things today and yesterday. But no worries about injury with Trav. He’ll go into the game fully fit,” Cummins told reporters. “I don’t think you’ll see too much management of him throughout the game. He just kind of plays as is. Maybe around fielding, if he’s a bit uncomfortable, we will (manage him), but he’s fully fit.”
Meanwhile, Konstas will replace Nathan McSweeney, who had been dropped from the squad after a string of low scores.
Konstas will be Australia’s youngest ever opener, and it is believed his age gap with fellow opener Usman Khawaja is the widest between opening partners in Test history.
“There’s a level of naivety that you just want to go out and play like you do when you’re a kid in the backyard. You just want to take the game on, have fun, and not overthink it.
“That’s the message to Sam. That’s definitely how I felt as an 18-year-old. I was just really excited, and once the game started, you go into game-mode and it’s just like any other game,” said Cummins.
On the other hand, Boland returns in the series after the second Test in Adelaide, where he claimed 5 wickets, will replace the injured Hazlewood, who has been ruled out of the series with a calf injury.
“He bowled beautifully in Adelaide. Whenever he gets his chance, he steps in and looks like he’s one of the best bowlers in the world,” Cummins said of Boland.
“I expect him (to do) much the same. He loves bowling here, he’s played probably more than anyone else here at the MCG in our team. He’s prepared really well. It is pretty awesome that even with an unfortunate injury like Josh has, you can have someone like Scotty to come straight in seamlessly,” he added.
Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
