India suffered a humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Australia in the second Test in Adelaide which left the Border-Gavaskar Trophy locked at 1-1 with three matches to spare. Josh Hazlewood's absence due to a side strain opened the door for Scott Boland, who made the most of the opportunity. Boland ended up taking a total of five wickets to further compound India's woes.
While Scott Boland impressed with his five wickets in Adelaide, his place in the team might be temporary. If Josh Hazlewood recovers from his side strain, he'll be the automatic choice for the Gabba Test, pushing Boland out.
Will Josh Hazlewood play Gabba Test? Star pacer reveals
Hazlewood is currently undergoing his recovery process, bowling two full spells at the Adelaide Oval on Monday, December 9. The next 24 hours will be crucial in determining his fitness for the upcoming Test. As reported by cricket.com.au, Hazlewood himself stated,
"I think it'll be how I pull up in the 24 hours following it really. "It’s just that repetitive (action) and obviously two spells makes a big difference," he said.
"Cooling down pretty much fully and then going again in the same day, and the intensity has got to be right up there as well. So a few boxes to tick, but it's probably the 24 hours that follow and pulling up again the next day and then thinking 'yeah, I'd be right to go again if I had to'," he added.
Hazlewood's potential return would be a big boost for Australia, especially considering his impressive record at the Gabba. In eight Test matches at this venue, he has claimed 37 wickets at an average of 23.75, including two five-wicket hauls.
India will need to be wary of Hazlewood's threat, as his accurate line and length have the ability to dismantle opposition batting lineups.
India might have emerged victorious in the first Test against Australia, but Josh Hazlewood hogged limelight with his impressive show, claiming 4/29 in the first innings which folded the opposition for a paltry 150.
Boland stepped in and delivered a match-winning performance in the second Test scalping the prized wickets of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill to give Australian team management a selection headache for the third Test
Meanwhile, after recording 10-wicket win over India at the Adelaide Oval, Cummins talked about Hazlewood's possibility of playing the Gabba Test.
"Josh (Hazlewood) will have a bowl tomorrow. So he is on track (to be fit for Brisbane Test). Yeah, it's all gone to plan so far. Fairly confident he'll be right for Brisbane, we'll know more in the next couple of days. And yeah, someone who'll make way, he'll be pretty unlucky. Fairly confident he'll be right for Brisbane, we'll know more in the next couple of days," Cummins had said in the post-match press conference.