New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : After an injury-hampered start to the summer, Scott Boland is ready to return to the Sheffield Shield and stake his claim for a spot in Australia's Test side, with hopes of donning the Baggy Green once again in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India. Boland will make his Shield return this weekend at the MCG, where his Victoria side will take on New South Wales in a star-studded clash.
The 35-year-old has been sidelined by dual injuries, a plantar fascia tear in his right foot and a left knee niggle. But now the paceman is determined to prove he deserves a chance to take on India, a team against which he has already demonstrated his big-game credentials. "First game back, there’s probably going to be a little bit of rust, but that’s OK. I know that once I get into my work, it’ll be maybe one spell of rust, then hopefully I’m into my work and bowling really well again. I’m pretty confident. I’ve done so much work on my body the last four or five months. I should be able to withstand anything that a Shield game presents," Boland told cricket.com.au.
Boland’s return will be closely watched, especially as he eyes a potential call-up for the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test at the MCG, the fourth of India’s five-match Test series in Australia. He famously claimed 6-7 at the same venue against England in the 2022 Ashes, and he hopes to repeat those heroics in front of a packed crowd aganst India. "It would be awesome. We played against them in India, we played against them in London last year for the Test Championship (final). I think it’d be pretty cool to play them here at the ‘G. Indian fans travel everywhere and they support their team wherever they go. It’ll be a really big crowd here, and it would be really nice to be a part of that game," he said.
Boland's most recent international appearance came during Australia’s tour of the UK last year, where he played a key role in helping the team win the World Test Championship final against India. As he prepares for his Shield return, Boland knows he has plenty of time to build momentum ahead of the Test summer. "Looking at the bigger picture, I’ve still got plenty of time to get into the season. I thought, ‘if I miss a game or two here, how do I set myself up for the rest of the season and the next couple of years?’ I took the slower approach, I guess," said the pacer. He is hoping that his performances will push him back into contention for the Test series. "I don’t want to miss too many games – I’ve already missed three games (for Victoria), but there’s still heaps of cricket coming up before the Test summer," he concluded.
