Cummins picks Boland over Hazlewood as Australia name XI for Boxing Day Test

A still of Scott Boland, Travis Head and Pat Cummins from 1st Test vs South Africa

The debate about whom to pick between Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood has been ongoing from the very minute when the first Test between Australia and South Africa ended. 

Finally, the Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has put a full stop to the debate by picking Boland over the experienced seamer and stating that Hazlewood himself pulled out of the selection.

"We gave Joshy (Hazlewood) every chance, (but) it just got to a stage where (he) more than anyone else felt like he was a little bit underdone," Cummins on the eve of the Boxing Day Test against the Proteas.

"It's a mark of the man really, he himself said 'don't feel quite right' so he kind of pulled himself out of selection. We talk a lot about how (as) a team we need a squad mentality and I think it's another great example," the Australian skipper further stated.

Apart from Boland, there was another argument running around about whether to drop an out-of-form David Warner from the Test squad, however; the team management has gone against seating the 36-year-old.

Australia, who won the first Test on a tricky Gabba pitch, have gone with the same eleven that they played in Brisbane. 

Australia's XI for the second Test: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland. 

The Boxing Day Test plays a huge part in the Australian cricketing tradition, as it gets underway on the next morning of Christmas every year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

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