Scott Boland has yet to be told if he will replace Josh Hazlewood in the second Test against India after the premier paceman was ruled out with a side strain.
The man most likely to replace Hazlewood in Adelaide for the day/night Test, beginning on Friday, Boland is in Canberra with the Prime Minister’s XI. Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett have also been called into the Test squad as cover.
Australia are already sweating on the fitness of Mitch Marsh, with Tasmanian and Australia A all-rounder Beau Webster added to the squad earlier this week.
Even if Marsh does play in Adelaide, Webster is a chance to debut in Brisbane given the short turnaround and concerns over Marsh's fitness.
Speaking as rain delayed the start of the two-day Prime Minister’s XI match at Manuka Oval on Saturday, Boland claimed he still wanted to play in the pink ball warm-up match and then fly to Adelaide on Monday as planned.
Australia’s reserve paceman since a remarkable debut against England during the 2021 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Boland has played 10 Tests as a replacement but none since midway through the Ashes in July last year.
At 35, Boland feared whether he would play another Test.
“I probably expected to play at some stage last summer with seven Tests because of the New Zealand tour as well,” Boland said.
“Obviously with those guys (Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitch Starc) being so resilient, they don’t miss too many and no one wants to give up their spot at any stage.
“They were so dominant last summer, they weren’t bowling a heap of overs. We were able to win most of those games, so I probably thought maybe the opportunity had passed.
“I’ve worked really hard during the off-season to get my body in a spot where I’m confident that if I get another chance I’ll be able to perform for Australia again.
Hazlewood’s injury is not thought to be serious and he will remain around the Test squad ahead of the third Test in Brisbane.
But the injury to Hazlewood is the last thing Australia needed, as they look to fight back from 1-0 down to win a five-Test series for the first time since 1997.
Hazlewood was Australia's best bowler in Perth, getting the prized scalp of Virat Kohli in the first innings and finishing with 4-29.
But he is now likely paying the price for Australia's long stint in the field in the second innings, where he sent down 21 overs and India batted for five sessions.
The 33-year-old had endured a long run of injuries in the lead-up to the 2023 Ashes, with side injuries the main reason for him playing just four Tests in two years.
However, he has largely got through unscathed since then with only a minor calf strain ruling him out of white-ball matches earlier this year.
Boland has also only played two first-class matches this summer on return from a foot injury.
Beyond Adelaide, the door is now open for Abbott or Doggett to debut in Brisbane, given the brief three-day gap between the next two Tests.
Doggett's rise is perhaps the most remarkable, given he was only called into the Australia A side to face India A late, before taking 6-15 against the tourists in Mackay.
He has previously been part of Australia's squad for a Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018, but did not play.
Abbott has also consistently been on the fringes of Australia's Test side, but is yet to win a Baggy Green.
He has taken 13 wickets at an average of 19.84 for NSW this summer in the Shield, and did not play in the A series due to looming Australian white-ball commitments.
