Durban [South Africa], October 16 (ANI): Australia began their three-Test series against South Africa with a commanding 214-run victory in Durban, extending their impressive run in the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27.
While spin played a role on a surface that offered some turn, Australia’s pace attack proved decisive. Senior pacer Josh Hazlewood led the charge with figures of 6/49, helping bowl South Africa out for 206 in their final innings, as per the ICC website
Although South African conditions traditionally favour pace and bounce, the Durban pitch offered enough assistance for Australia to include a specialist spinner. As a result, Nathan Lyon featured alongside the experienced pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood, leaving Scott Boland on the bench.
Boland, who boasts an outstanding bowling average of 18.58 in Test cricket, could still feature in the series, however, with Hazlewood suggesting that his fellow pacer may have a role to play in the matches ahead.
"He [Scott Boland] barely bowls poorly," Hazlewood said. "Every net the boys come in, it's like, geez, Scotty again."
As the series moves to Gqeberha and Cape Town, where conditions are expected to favour fast bowling even more, Australia could consider strengthening their pace attack by bringing Scott Boland into the playing XI.
"I think he'll play a part in this series [and] I think he'll play a part in the next 12, 18 months. [He's a] class act, his record ridiculous,” he added.
Boland's presence as an added seamer could ease out the pressure on Australia's senior pacemen, especially in a busy year ahead, which is all set to feature a four-Test series against New Zealand at home, a five-game series in India early next year, followed by a five-Test Ashes later in 2027.
"It probably makes it a bit easier on us if we are struggling from time to time to then think Scotty's there, ready to go. It can make those conversations a bit easier, and it's more of a unit. Moving forward we can't miss those big chunks, but we might miss a week or two here and there, and things settle quicker, and we've just got a nice unit here at the moment,” he said.
Hazlewood also discussed the impact of reverse swing in South African conditions, and how the Australian pacers were able to bring that factor into play.
"It's probably with Australia [pitches] being the green seamers, it [Reverse Swing] just doesn't get talked about at all. The ball still looks new late in the innings if it gets that far. So it's more, if you go back to SCG years ago, we definitely got reversed there every year. Here in South Africa, it was just an abrasive wicket; it was very hard underfoot. We probably got a hint of it in the first innings and then as the game goes, it just sort of deteriorates more, and you get a bit more. So we knew it was crucial,” he said.
For Hazlewood, the reverse swing factor came into play on wickets where the ball remained a tad bit harder, and the movement wasn't exaggerated.
"You probably want the ball a bit harder and a little bit of reverse swing rather than a lot of reverse swing with the ball soft. It's much easier to navigate as a batsman. You still want that carry with a harder ball. Just a hint of reverse swing, I think, is the key," he said.
Australia, who are the table toppers, will look to seal the series and gain crucial ICC World Test Championship points with a win in Gqeberha. (ANI)
"He'll play a part in this series": Hazlewood backs Boland for South Africa Tests
