• Source:JND

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Australian seamer Scott Boland has issued a warning to under-fire Indian batter KL Rahul ahead of the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in November. The lanky fast bowler stated that he will look to make use of bouncy, seam-friendly conditions down under. Despite starting his test career with his maiden century, Rahul' record in Australia has been below par, averaging just 20.77. On the other hand, with the possibility that Indian captain Rohit Sharma missing the opening Test in Perth for personal reasons, Rahul could find himself in line to bolster India's batting lineup.

Reflecting on his previous encounters with Rahul, Boland expressed confidence in his team's ability to put early pressure on the Indian batter. "I was lucky to bowl him in a Test, over in India a couple of years ago, but it'll be nice to play against him in our backyard," Boland said. "He's a world-class player but someone I think we can get on top of pretty early and hopefully stay on top of him for the majority of the summer."

Australia’s selectors face tough choices as they prepare for the upcoming home Test series, with competition among players intensifying and each match serving as a critical evaluation. The recent Australia A-team’s four-day encounter at the MCG has become a key stage for emerging players vying for spots in the national team.

Australian fast bowler Scott Boland noted India's recent 3-0 series loss to New Zealand but advised against overestimating its significance. Boland acknowledged India’s pace attack was strong in the first Test of that series, but New Zealand’s spinners ultimately dominated in the latter matches. 

"There's so much more bounce here, more seam," Boland explained. "The way they'll structure their team will be completely different to what you see over in India."

Boland, meanwhile, is likely in one of the test matches considering the workload for Australia's regular frontline bowlers if they're rested. "The big three getting through the entire home summer last season was an outlier," he noted.