Australian pacer Scott Boland says he feels more equipped than ever to face England’s aggressive batting lineup in the upcoming Ashes series — should the opportunity arise. Boland, though, is not assured of a spot in Australia’s playing XI, with captain Pat Cummins, left-arm spearhead Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood remaining the frontline choices. Back in 2023, Boland played two Tests when Australia and England clashed in the Ashes. That time he only took two wickets.
"I've obviously thought about it a lot since it happened in 2023. But I still think there were times in England where I bowled pretty well and just didn't get a wicket. I'm a better bowler than I was back then. I'm going to be in our conditions that I know really, really well. I'm hoping to put in some good performances," Boland said during an event in Melbourne.
"They're going to play aggressively. If the wickets stay similar to what they've been over the last few years, I think we're going to be in the game all the time. There were little parts of the England tour last time, when the ball sort of moved around and favoured the bowlers, but generally over there, the wickets have been a bit flatter. And then when you come to Australia, certainly the last three or four years, they've been bowler friendly," he added.
The much-anticipated five-match Ashes series between Australia and England will begin on November 21. Meanwhile, Boland was instrumental in Australia’s 176-run victory in the third Test against West Indies, picking up 7 wickets.