'England will play Scott Boland like a spinner': Ex-England captain sheds light on how Ben Stokes & Co. will tackle in-form Aussie pacer

It is still early days for Scott Boland in international cricket.

SportsTak

• Wed • 14 Jun 2023

It is still early days for Scott Boland in international cricket. Yet, the veteran pacer has become a star and a fan favourite. In a star-studded bowling line-up, Boland has done tremendously well to carve his own niche and, he has done so in an eye-catching manner. He was one of Australia's protagonists in the World Test Championship (WTC) final victory. The right-arm pacer dismissed Shubman Gill twice, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja once in the Test match before finishing with five wickets in the contest.

With the marquee Ashes series just two days away from commencement, England batters would be wary of the threat posed by Boland. Boland, who is extremely disciplined when it comes to line and lengths, would challenge the Three Lions' batters immensely in their execution of 'Bazball'.

Former England captain and legendary batter, Michael Vaughan believes that Ben Stokes & Co. will try and play Boland like a spinner in an attempt to throw the right-arm pacer off his mark. Vaughan reckons that English batters will try and come inside the line and whip Boland's deliveries on the leg side.

"It (Bazball) has worked against most teams they have played," Vaughan said on Fox Cricket's Ashes Preview show.

"This Australian team are different though. They are a relentless bowling unit. But they'll try and they'll come out dancing. Scott Boland's length, they'll be playing him like a spinner. They will be. They'll be running down, they'll be trying to get down outside off-stump, they know where he's going to land it. They'll be trying to whip it on the onside," he added.

Boland has so far played eight Test matches in his career and his returns have been sensational. The Melbourne-born 34-year-old has accounted for 33 wickets in Tests so far and his best figures of 6/7 came against England when the two teams last crossed swords in the Ashes.