Scott Boland will make his Test debut for Australia on Boxing Day, captain Pat Cummins has confirmed, while England has made four changes to their playing XI for the must-win match.
Boland was a surprise addition to Australia’s Ashes squad following the second Test victory, but with Josh Hazlewood still nursing a side injury and Jhye Richardson pulling up sore after Adelaide, the Victorian has been given the green light to make his first Test appearance in front of a home crowd.
Boland and Cummins are the two additions to Australia’s XI, replacing Richardson and Michael Neser, who has been dropped.
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Boland will become the fourth Indigenous Australian to play Test cricket, following in the footsteps of Faith Thomas, Jason Gillespie and Ashleigh Gardner.
The 32-year-old has an excellent record at the MCG for Victoria. In 26 first-class games at the usually docile venue, he’s taken 91 wickets at an average of under 26.
“His record speaks for itself here in domestic cricket. Home ground, having someone fresh like him who can perform straightaway were the big factors,” Cummins said.
“He’s really excited obviously – it’s a dream for him to wear the Baggy Green, packed MCG on Boxing Day, it doesn’t get any better.”
Boland will become the first Victorian to make his Test debut at the MCG in more than 30 years. Tony Dodemaide was the last to be given that honour, back in 1987-88.
Meanwhile, England has made sweeping changes to its XI, bringing in four players for Boxing Day.
Out-of-sorts opener Rory Burns has been dropped, as has middle-order batter Ollie Pope.
Zac Crawley comes in at the top of the order for Burns, and Jonny Bairstow will take Pope’s place at number six.
Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes have both been omitted from the attack, replaced by spinner Jack Leach and express quick Mark Wood.
Wood was a surprise omission in Adelaide after his pace troubled Australia in Brisbane, while Leach’s re-selection comes even after he was plundered for 102 runs from just 13 overs in the first Test.
Boxing Day Test teams
Australia
David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
England
Haseeb Hameed, Zac Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, Jimmy Anderson