“Probably get the first ticket”: Andrew McDonald reveals Australia’s pace-bowling attack for Rawalpindi Test

Andrew McDonald reveals Australia’s pace-bowling attack: The Australian coach divulged details about their bowling unit for the Rawalpindi Test.

Scheduled to begin in Rawalpindi from tomorrow, the first Test match between Pakistan and Australia means a great deal to the cricketing fraternity in Pakistan for various reasons.

Touring Pakistan after as many as 24 years, the three-match Test series holds a lot of importance for the Australian cricket team as well for cricket-related reasons.

Australia, who had last played an away Test match during Ashes 2019 in England, had last played a Test match in Asia almost half-a-decade ago. Batter David Warner, vice-captain (then captain) Steven Smith, captain (then lone specialist fast bowler) Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon are the only four players of the current squad who had played in that match against Bangladesh in Chattogram.

While the start of any Test series forces a team management to ponder over its optimum Playing XI, the start of a Test series in the sub-continent after such a long interval needs all the more mulling over for an overseas team.

Andrew McDonald reveals Australia’s pace-bowling attack for Rawalpindi Test

The biggest question which Australia were facing before the Test match at the Pindi Cricket Stadium was the number of spinners in their XI. While Lyon seems to have received an obvious go-ahead regarding being the solitary specialist spinner, Australia now have to finalize their fast-bowling attack.

In the general run of things, tried and tested trio of Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood start any series for Australia these days. Having said that, the swift emergence of another pacer in Scott Boland has left them to further ponder in this facet too.

“We’ve got a vital option in Scott Boland who is almost forcing the hand of the selectors to say pick me, but the three unfortunately ahead of him have got sensational records and probably get the first ticket,” Australia head coach Andrew McDonald was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph with respect to Australia’s pace attack for the first Test.

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Boland, who received a Test debut as a replacement for injured Hazlewood during Ashes 2021-22, made the most of playing three Tests picking 18 wickets at a phenomenal average and strike rate of 9.55 and 27 respectively. McDonald, however, did lay emphasis on Boland getting a go if one of three first-choice pacers suffers an injury or workload-related issue during the three-match series in Pakistan.

“They have got to be fit to perform, if it is going to be attritional cricket there is going to be some heavy overs put into our fast bowlers early in the series,” McDonald added.