Can India solve the Boland-shaped jigsaw at the MCG? – Sports news portal | Latest sporting goods

How does Scott Boland approach tormenting a truckload of batters in the Sheffield Shield? What accounts for his remarkable record at the MCG, in the game’s longest format? The answer to this vexing question can be found if you look through some old videos of Boland bowling in the Sheffield Shield. The Adelaide Oval match between Victoria and South Australia from the 2020–21 season serves as an example. Boland finished with eight wickets in that match, including six in the second innings.

The second of his six wickets in the second essay tells a story in itself. From slightly outside the crease, Boland hit the ball just wide and it nipped back off the seam considerably. Because of Boland’s near-perfect length for these climes in Australia, Brad Davis was caught on the crease. Unsurprisingly, Davis could only get one to the keeper. Just zoom in on the bounce further and the bat dangled just outside. A clue that Boland had bowled the right line and length to force the batter to make a mistake.

Henry Hunt’s wicket was not much different, although that delivery might have straightened slightly on the angle. He followed that up by bowling a peach to remove Harry Nielsen, the left-handed batter. From around the wicket and wide of the crease, he angled one in to Nielsen. Nielsen played for the angle, only for the ball to nip away from him and rattle the stumps.

Boland’s impressive display at the MCG has been based on the same game plan, including his famous spell of 6 for 7 against England on his Test debut. The best ball in the game-breaking spell was reserved for England mainstay Joe Root. It swung and jerked away just enough to take the outside edge. Root couldn’t pick the variation as he played down the wrong line. That offer gives you the essence of Boland’s well-rounded quivers for those conditions.

With a front-on action, Boland is set to bowl plenty of nip-backers and three-quarter seam deliveries to right-handed batsmen. But he also has the ability to tilt his wrist a bit and move it away from them. With certain actions, it seems easier to choose the variation. This is not the case with Boland, as there is no real noticeable change in his action for choosing cues. To make matters worse for the right-hander, wrist tilt is negligible and his control is exemplary.

Although the outside delivery is not his main weapon, it acts as a complement to the nip-backs and sows the seeds of doubt in the minds of the right-handers. In that context, what could India’s strategy be against Boland in the upcoming MCG Test? One of them could be to try to negate his threat with a left-right combination. Of his 40 Test wickets, only six have been left-handers. If the left-hander takes some calculated risks, it could help disrupt Boland’s lengths.

Boland, who represents Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, has a wealth of experience in the grand theater of the MCG. He has picked as many as 117 scalps at an average of 24 there in first-class cricket. Outside of the home, he may not be as effective. But with tires in Australia offering a bit more zip and bounce, his method is tailor-made for such conditions. With most of the Indian batsmen struggling for form, they face a formidable task at Boland’s happy hunting ground.