Ashes 2021-22: Scott Boland’s stunning debut can’t guarantee Test future

Boland’s name echoed around the sacred ground on Tuesday as a 40,000-strong crowd lauded his second innings figures of 6-7, the stuff of legend and the sixth-best ever by an Australian on debut.

For the 32-year-old, his day three spell will undoubtedly be the highlight of his career. Boland sent down 24 balls in the second innings and took a wicket with a quarter of them.

But because of the players around him, he looks set to join the maligned queue of cricketers – Brad Hodge, Jason Gillespie and even New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel – who have scaled the rarest of heights at Test level only to have the door closed on them, and even their international career, moments later.

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The odds of Boland even making an appearance in this Ashes series were 100-1 before it kicked off. An incredible first-class bowler with a phenomenal record for Victoria, there was nevertheless a consensus that he was well down the pecking order in terms of Test selection.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are Australia’s tried and trusted trio. Behind them, Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser filled in the gaps to acclaim in Adelaide, while New South Welshman Sean Abbott and Queensland’s Mark Steketee have both been in Test squads in the past year. Throw in James Pattinson’s international retirement in October, and it’s not unfair to say there were as many as eight bowlers ahead of Boland for Test selection before the Sheffield Shield season began.

A combination of injury, rotation and picking for conditions saw selectors opt for Boland to make his Test debut in the Boxing Day Test.

“It’s a luxury to have someone like him ready to go,” Cummins said of Boland when naming his squad on Christmas Day. “He’s fresh and he’s been consistent for so long.”

He rewarded their faith by collecting the Mullagh Medal as Australia wrapped up the Ashes before lunch on day three. In the same manner as his baggy green when Boland first took the field, he could barely bring himself to take the medal off. The ‘MCG specialist’ was in his element.

But now selectors face the impossible dilemma of whether to drop Boland for the fourth Test in Sydney.

The “luxury” of having such impressive bowling depth brings its challenges.

“It’s one of those good days as captain where I can firmly say I’m not a selector,” Cummins said post-match.

“I thought it was a really brave call by the selectors to bring in Scotty this game and full credit, they’ve made the right call. Good luck [to the selectors] for Sydney.”

There are a number of options for Australia ahead of the New Year’s Test. Hazlewood is set to be available after missing the last two Tests with a side strain while Richardson and Neser were both managed with a view of returning by Sydney.

The obvious choice is to return with Australia’s pre-eminent cartel: Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood.

Next is sticking with the same XI from Melbourne. It seems unlikely but it rewards the performance of the team that reclaimed the urn, with the added bonus of giving Hazlewood and Richardson extra time to recover.

There could also be a view to rest Mitchell Starc ahead of the pink ball Test in Hobart. The left-arm quick has been Australia’s best bowler through the first three Tests with 14 wickets to his name, but this option would fall into line with the squad mentality head selector George Bailey flagged for the series. With an extra two days for Starc to put his feet up, this respite certainly isn’t as necessary as it once might have been.

Cummins also floated the prospect of picking a second spinner in Sydney, much to the delight of the scriptwriters employed annually and Cameron Green bowling enthusiasts. “It might be a spinning track, you’ve got Mitchell Swepson bowling beautifully,” the skipper offered.

It’s testament to the squad that Australia has at its disposal, and also puts them in a brilliant position ahead of a bumper year of Test cricket that includes three tours to the subcontinent, with sights set once more on adding the World Test Championship to an ever-growing trophy cabinet.

Boland’s record in Sydney will keep him in consideration. Considering the clamour to emphasise his incredible record at the MCG, it’s worth noting that his career first-class average in Melbourne (25.71) is higher than his SCG average (24.73) – obviously across a much smaller sample size of five Shield games.

Unfortunately for Boland, there are plenty of scenarios where his Melbourne heroics could be the one memory of Test level he has for some time. It would certainly go down as one of the most brutal selection calls in some time, but the precedent has long been set.

Hodge scored 203* against South Africa in Perth in 2005, only to be dropped for Australia’s next series against Bangladesh and then going unsighted for the next two years.

That same year, Gillespie scored his famed 201* as nightwatchman against Bangladesh, only for it to be his last ever Test.

And just last week, Kiwi spinner Patel took all 10 wickets in an innings – a feat only achieved three times in Test cricket’s entire history – only to be left out entirely when the Blackcaps’ named the squad for their very next series.

But for now, Boland, who thought he may never get the opportunity to play Test cricket, gets to celebrate his match-winning performance in a Test where Australia reclaimed the Ashes.

“We’ll enjoy a few beers today and maybe tomorrow … we’ll wait and see what happens with selection,” Boland said.

Ideally not last drinks, but it’s a well-earned beer at the very least.