The 36-year-old Boland debuted against England four years ago on Boxing Day, with his 6-7 in the second innings catapulting him into cult-hero status.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The one blip in Boland\u2019s Test career remains the 2023 Ashes, where England went after the Victorian and messed with his lengths at Edgbaston and Headingley.<\/p>\n Boland\u2019s career average of 16.53 also remains the best of any bowler in the past 100 years, while his economy-rate of 2.75 makes him the most miserly of any regular seamer since his debut.<\/p>\n But the Victorian took just two wickets at an average of 115.5 in the 2023 Ashes, as England\u2019s batters walked at Boland and took him for 4.91 runs an over in his two Tests.<\/p>\n That alone prompted former England captain Michael Atherton to state this week Cummins\u2019 back injury was a massive boost for the tourists given they had no fear for Boland.<\/p>\n Not that Australia\u2019s coach is buying into the suggestion.<\/p>\n \u201cScotty was challenged with some lack of bounce in the benign conditions in England,\u201d McDonald said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think conditions sort of conspired a little bit against him.<\/p>\n \u201cI know there\u2019s been some press around that England have worked Scott Boland out.<\/p>\n \u201cBut when he comes back into the Australian conditions, he gets bounce, hits the deck, he\u2019s a handful.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd as we saw last year against India, I think Rohit Sharma rated him the best of that series. That\u2019s a huge compliment from an opposing captain.\u201d<\/p>\n McDonald pointed to two overs Boland sent down under heavy cloud at Edgbaston during the 2023 Ashes as proof the situation may have been conditions-dependent.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did get the overheads there for that short snippet at the end of day three,\u201d McDonald said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when he bowled a few overs under the cloudy skies, he looked like he was going to get a wicket every ball.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re confident and comfortable that Baz can get the job done in Australia, which he\u2019s done over a long period of time.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd bounce will be his friend.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s coach also insisted there was enough depth in Australia\u2019s pace-bowling stocks to cover if injuries struck.<\/p>\n McDonald has not had to call upon a frontline quick other than Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Boland since December 2022.<\/p>\n Cummins will have a clearer picture later this week on whether he is a chance to play in the first Test, with the captain needing at least four-and-a-half weeks of bowling in the lead up.<\/p>\n Tight turnarounds between the final three Tests could also cause workload-management headaches, particularly if the third Test in Adelaide was to go the distance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019d be nice if we sat back at the end of the summer and said there were only four fast bowlers used,\u201d McDonald said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019ve got some good options in (Brendan) Doggett, (Sean) Abbott, (Michael) Neser.<\/p>\n \u201cJhye Richardson is potentially coming back around that midpoint of the series.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I feel like we\u2019ve got some good options if we do get stretched, which is one of the great things of domestic cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Australia coach issues fresh update on Pat Cummins<\/p>\n 2 min read<\/p>\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/7news.com.au\/static\/media\/right-red-arrow.92bca5db.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Veteran](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/e08c65cdaa60ddf7f110f80e39914bb17a8f92a2.jpg\")
Veteran Scott Boland is being tipped to get his bounce back in a home Ashes. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n