Scott Boland achieved a career milestone with a ten-wicket haul in the fifth Test against India. His performance earned him the best bowling average in men’s Test cricket since World War I, according to Wisden.
Boland maintained exceptional form throughout the series. He consistently challenged Indian batsmen with his precise line and length.
A notable achievement for Boland was dismissing Virat Kohli four times in the series. He proved to be a significant obstacle for the Indian team.
Boland captured 21 wickets in three matches at an average of 13.19. His best figures were 6/45, including a ten-wicket haul in the fifth Test.
He finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in the series. In the first innings of the final Test, Boland took 4/31.
He followed up with 6/45 in the second innings. This performance restricted India to 157 runs, setting Australia a manageable target of 162.
Australia successfully chased the target. Boland’s match figures of 10/76 are the fourth-best at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Charlie Turner holds the best figures at the SCG with 12-87 in 1888-89. Boland made his Test debut for Australia in 2021.
He hasn’t played many international matches due to the established presence of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.
In 13 Tests, Boland has taken 56 wickets at an average of 17.66. His best figures are 6/7.
He has also played 14 ODIs and three T20Is. In these formats combined, he has taken 19 wickets.
Boland’s international debut was against India in 2016. His Test average is the eighth-best overall in Test history.
It is the best average since World War I among bowlers with at least 50 Test wickets. England’s George Lohmann holds the best-ever bowling average.
Lohmann took 112 wickets in 18 Tests from 1886 to 1896 at an average of 10.75, as per Wisden. Among Australians with 50 Test wickets, only Charlie Turner has a better average.
Turner’s average is 16.53, with 101 wickets in 17 Tests. Among modern-day contemporaries with 50 Test wickets, Axar Patel has the next-best bowling average.
Patel has 55 wickets at 19.34. He is followed by Jasprit Bumrah (205 wickets at 19.40) and Kyle Jamieson (80 wickets at 19.73).
Betty Wilson holds the top bowling average among women with 50 Test wickets. Wilson took 68 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 11.80.
In the SCG Test, India won the toss and chose to bat. India’s top order struggled, including Virat Kohli who continued to face difficulties with deliveries outside off-stump.
Rishabh Pant (40), Ravindra Jadeja (26), and Jasprit Bumrah (22) contributed to India’s total of 185. Boland (4/31) was the most successful bowler for Australia.
Mitchell Starc took 3/49 and Pat Cummins took 2/37. Australia lost wickets regularly in their first innings.
Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) briefly left the field due to an injury scare. India, under stand-in captain Virat Kohli, bowled Australia out for 181.
Debutant Beau Webster scored 57, and Steve Smith made 33. Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Mohammed Siraj (3/51) were India’s best bowlers.
India began their second innings with a four-run lead. Yashasvi Jaiswal (22) and KL Rahul (13) provided a promising start with a 45-run partnership.
Boland (6/45) once again posed a challenge for India. Pant’s counter-attacking 61 off 33 balls wasn’t enough to prevent India from being bowled out for 157.
Jasprit Bumrah was unable to bowl in the final innings. Australia faced some difficulty during their chase of 162, reaching 58/3.
Usman Khawaja (41), Travis Head (34 not out), and Webster (39 not out) guided Australia to a six-wicket victory. Prasidh Krishna took 3/65 for India.
Boland was named Player of the Match for his ten-wicket haul. Jasprit Bumrah received the Player of the Series award for his 32 wickets.