Captain Cummins’ brilliant move that inspired Scott Boland’s outrageous spell

Scott Boland’s magnificent spell to wrap up the Boxing Day Test and the Ashes 2021-22 for Australia in the morning session of Day 3 had captain Pat Cummins‘ hand involved. Cummins, having handed the Victorian pacer his long-awaited Test debut, inspired Boland with a moment of grace late on Day 2, which only spurred him […]
 
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Captain Cummins’ brilliant move that inspired Scott Boland’s outrageous spell

Scott Boland’s magnificent spell to wrap up the Boxing Day Test and the Ashes 2021-22 for Australia in the morning session of Day 3 had captain Pat Cummins‘ hand involved.

Cummins, having handed the Victorian pacer his long-awaited Test debut, inspired Boland with a moment of grace late on Day 2, which only spurred him on to run through the English batting line-up on Tuesday (December 28).

That, Boland could take six English wickets in the space of four overs – four of those inside three overs on Day 3 – on debut, will make it a piece of cricketing memory that will never be forgotten. But the pacer also had a lot to thank his skipper for, as Cummins trusted him as the first-change quick for this Test ahead of Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser after they pulled up a touch sore.

However, the real and the most beautiful moment of inspiration came late on Day 2 when England were left on the brink by Scott Boland’s double strike in his only over towards the close of play. In that over, the right-arm quick dismissed opener Haseeb Hameed and nightwatchman Jake Leach.

Soon as that over was completed, Cummins showed off his class as captain and human being as he made sure Boland was sent to field in a corner of the iconic MCG where his fast bowler could receive the loudest round of applause.

Captain Cummins’ brilliant move that inspired Scott Boland’s outrageous spell

Watch: Why Is There An Additional Noise When Scott Boland Is Bowling?

Captain Cummins’ brilliant move that inspired Scott Boland’s outrageous spell

Scott Boland bowled a memorable spell to help Australia retain the Ashes.

Pat Cummins inspires Scott Boland with a moment of captaincy grace

Upon completing his over, Scott Boland was initially going to the other side of the MCG – which was packed with over 40,000 fans on Day 2 – but Cummins made sure Boland was sent to the fine-leg region where a larger section of fans received him with huge applause and fanfare.

Boland, who plays for Victoria in the Australian domestic scene, made his debut at his home ground at the MCG and ended with seven wickets for the Test match, including a much-savoured second-innings spell of 6/7.

The 32-year-old bowler helped Australia assert their dominance at home over England, winning by an innings & 14 runs to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series and retaining the coveted Ashes urn.

In many ways, a successful Test debut was a continuation of Scott Boland’s great run at the iconic venue that is MCG. The bowler has developed a reputation of running through sides at the ground since its surface went through a retransformation after 2017.

Boland has taken 42 first-class wickets (excluding the Ashes Test) at MCG with an average of 14.35 in his last six matches. This, including a haul of 8/89 in the Sheffield Shield fixture played against New South Wales in the build-up to the Ashes.