Opinion
There is something about the axing of Scott Boland and the retention of Marnus Labuschagne for the series-deciding Test in South Africa that doesn’t make sense.
Boland was squeezed out of the XI after taking 5-81 and making a defiant 40 in a three-hour vigil as night watchman. Labuschagne lives to fight another day after wasting a start in the second innings, extending his century drought to 47 innings across 39 months.
Boland has the misfortune of playing in the same era as three Australian fast-bowling greats in Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc. In that respect, he is the Stuart MacGill of his time, coming into the attack only when one of the trio is injured or in seaming conditions, in place of Nathan Lyon. Living in the same era as the great Shane Warne – playing only when the greatest leg-spinner of all time was injured or when the conditions demanded a second spinner – was MacGill’s cross to bear.
But at what point does Boland’s record become irresistible? He’s now played 20 Tests and taken 87 wickets at an average of 18.44. His strike rate of a wicket every 38.6 balls is the second best of anyone who has played 20 Tests or more, behind South African left-armer Marco Jansen (38.49 in 23 Tests).
Based on those all-time numbers, not to mention his impact in Gqeberha last week, the decision to leave Boland out is mystifying.
The selectors erred in axing Nathan Lyon last week for, as Warne always insisted, if the pitch seams, it will spin. Bringing Lyon back for the decider in Cape Town is the right call.
That Cummins was forced to cobble 34 combined overs of part-time spin from Webster and three other teammates who typically bowl even less, as the Proteas strode to 9-425 (dec) in their series-changing innings, reinforces the point.
So which of the quicks should miss out for Boland?
Cummins took just four wickets at 72.75 in the first two Tests compared with Hazlewood (eight at 18.25) and Mitchell Starc (six at 30.83), but it would be crazy to drop the captain.
Josh Hazlewood starred in Durban but fell ill in the second Test. He has recovered but, with his injury history, and in a series that has been crammed into just 23 days, a third-straight Test is a gamble. That’s what makes Boland’s omission even more questionable.
While the selectors seem certain about their best attack, that is not the case with the batting.
How can it be that with the ICC No.1 ranking up for the grabs, the national selectors have essentially taken another stab in the dark with their batting line-up – a festering issue that has morphed from a sore spot into a deep flesh wound?
Yes, they made the right call at Newlands to return Matt Renshaw into the opening role alongside Travis Head, having axed Nic Maddinson after his shock recall yielded 56 runs across four innings.
Renshaw has spent most of his domestic and Test career facing the new ball, although you have to feel for the Queenslander, who will have to quickly adjust his temperament and technique, having thumped 190 and 82 in the relatively cozy No.5 spot in Durban.
Australia have been unable to settle on a long-term opening combination for some time, and ignored the opportunity to fast-track this process when they gave David Warner his final summer of 2023-24.
Admittedly, the sad end to Will Pucovski’s career at all levels of cricket because of concussion impacted the hope of fast-tracking a new-generation star, but Nathan McSweeney was never going to be the answer at the top of the order. Sam Konstas was another speculative pick, as was Maddinson. Konstas, in the runs this season, and McSweeney will be back. Maddinson, unsure.
The return of Cooper Connolly, replacing an out-of-sorts Beau Webster, is another good call, his youthful exuberance and no-fear attitude needed in the lower order. One player agent privately told this masthead Connolly, who debuted in Sri Lanka last year, is the type of player the selectors must now build around, even if that means bypassing the next generation of players in their late 20s. Connolly is 23. Ollie Peake, 20, but not in this squad, is another.
At Newlands, where the pitch has been dry, Connolly’s left-arm finger spin will offer a point of difference.
Which brings us to Labuschagne. Selection chairman George Bailey noted Labuschagne, who has exchanged verbal barbs in Afrikaans with Jansen, had still been completing the hard graft of getting into the 30s – just not converting.
“We’re seeing some good things. Is there a block at the moment around 30s? Yes, but he’s still contributing in terms of his ability to get through a number of balls,” Bailey said.
That’s a salient point, and can be forgotten in the modern era where it can feel as if all batters want to do is open their front leg and clear the ropes.
But his retention embodies the oft-felt theory felt by many unfortunate first-class batters circa 1990 that it was “harder to get out of the Test team than it was to get in”. At some point, the law of averages says Labuschagne will come good, but that shouldn’t mean he is retained for the home summer.
Cameron Green was a natural recall (as was Josh Inglis, given Steve Smith’s late withdrawal due to his neck injury), even though the all-rounder was not cleared to bowl after his abdominal injury. That means skipper Pat Cummins will have only three quicks at his disposal, including himself.
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