Scott Boland detail adds to selection 'intrigue' for first Ashes Test

Will he or won't he play? The Scott Boland conundrum seems to be the question on the lips of most Aussie cricket fans ahead of Australia's first Ashes Test against England, starting on Friday at Edgbaston. While England made the shock call to name their XI two days out from the first Test, Pat Cummins' men have kept the cricket world guessing.

Cummins says the Aussies have settled on a starting XI after inspecting the wicket, but won't reveal the exact make-up of the side until Friday's toss. With the batting order settled and the places of Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon assured, it leaves three quicks - Boland, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc - vying for the two remaining bowling spots.

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None of Australia’s quicks bowled at their session on Thursday, in what is common practice on the day before a Test. However, Boland was spotted chatting with the team's physio Nick Jones and carrying drinks for the players that he handed to the team's coaching staff.

Cricket writer Bharat Sundaresan described it as an intriguing development around Boland - one in which could be seen as the Victorian quick being overlooked for the first Test. Rotation has been a consistent theme for the Aussie bowlers, with the fit-again Hazlewood saying while he doesn't expect to play all five Tests, he hopes to be involved in at least three.

Many Aussie fans feel Boland has become undroppable after his latest heroics in Australia's World Test Championship triumph. The big quick has taken 33 wickets at a staggering average of 14.57 in his eight Tests, and is the most economical of the Aussie pace contingent.

On the flip side, Starc generally goes for more runs but is a dangerous wicket-taker and offers a left-arm option for the attack. Australia has long been loyal to the pace trio of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood, with coach Andrew McDonald, chief selector George Bailey and Cummins all seen in a lengthy pitch-side chat before training on Thursday.

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"We were just weighing up the different options," Cummins said. "The big difference from last week is Josh Hazlewood is back available, so just some conversations to be had around who we think the best XI is for this one."

Whoever misses out at Edgbaston will likely still play a role through the six-and-a-half-week series, with the quicks expected to be rotated throughout. "You weigh up everything," Cummins said.

"When you have such quality assets to throw at it, I don't think there is a wrong answer. You judge what you value more, whether it is data from past series, how someone's injury is tracking, how they are going lately, the make up of the attack. And we always use a bit of gut feel."

England captain Ben Stokes has been warning the Aussies his team will implement their aggressive 'Bazball' approach during the Ashes, with the Edgbaston pitch looking likely to suit batters. Aussie legends such as Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh have questioned whether this will work against the world class Aussie attack but England have remained defiant.

Under the leadership of Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England have won 11 of their last 13 Tests, while scoring at around five runs per over. On the other hand, the Aussies head into the series as the world's No.1 Test team, aiming to cement their legacy by winning a first Ashes series in England since 2001. The stakes couldn't be much higher.

with AAP

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