Australia celebrating the WTC final win [AP Photos]
Despite losing the toss, Australia steamrolled India in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 last week at The Oval, claiming the coveted mace ahead of their much-hyped 'The Ashes 2023' series. One of the main reasons for their success against India was their pace attack, which did not get Indian batters off the hook, especially Scott Boland.
Boland came into the XI as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood, who failed to recover in time. Now with Ashes on the horizon, former Australian captain Allan Border expects the management to go with the same XI that beat India at Edgbaston on June 16. Head coach Andrew McDonald will be in a fix to play Boland or Hazlewood, who is expected to fit for the first Ashes Test starting Friday.
Speaking with News Corp, Border expected Boland to keep his place in the XI.
Here's what Border said
“Boland has to stay. He was threatening all the time against India. It was just like Terry Alderman and Terry was just phenomenal in England. They are both the perfect pace for English conditions in the way they kiss the wicket.
Boland’s style of bowling and his general accuracy makes him the prototype English bowler. In those conditions Boland is just about first picked. They have to keep the same team that beat India.”
Boland claimed 2 for 39 and 3 for 46 in the WTC Final 2023 against India, as Australia won the marquee Test by a margin of 209 runs.
In eight Tests, the 34-year-old has claimed 33 wickets at a miserly average of 14.58.
 "Vishal Mehra")
