Australian pace bowler Scott Boland revealed his strategy for dismissing Virat Kohli for the third time in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series. Scott Boland stated that the team has clear plans when bowling to Virat Kohli, adding that Australia adjusts its line slightly to the fifth stump.
Virat Kohli scored 17 runs from 69 balls on Day 1 of the Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday, January 3. The Men in Blue were bowled out for 185 in their first innings. In response, Australia ended the day at 9/1, with Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Usman Khawaja on the final ball of the day.
We’ve Got Pretty Set Plans on How We Want to Bowl to Him – Scott Boland
Scott Boland said that Virat Kohli tends to leave many deliveries early on but wants to play the ball once he gets settled at the crease. Boland noted that they adjust their lines to the fifth stump once Kohli settles and added that this has been effective so far in this series.
“We’ve got pretty set plans on how we want to bowl to him. He sort of feels like he leaves a lot and then he wants to play the ball once he gets in. So once he gets in, we just want to switch our lines a little bit to fifth stump and it’s working at the moment,” Boland said on Fox Cricket of Australia’s success against Kohli this season.
Virat Kohli Could Have Been Dismissed for a Golden Duck off Scott Boland
Virat Kohli could have been dismissed on his first ball when a catch was ruled not out by the third umpire, as the ball appeared to touch the ground. He was eventually caught brilliantly by Beau Webster at third slip off Scott Boland’s bowling.
The pressure from Australia’s bowling was too much for Kohli, who edged a ball outside his body and was caught in the cordon. This marked the fourth time Boland had dismissed Kohli in Tests. Boland picked up the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), Rishabh Pant (40), and Nitish Kumar (0) in the first innings.
His Natural Angle Makes It Really Hard for Right-Handers – Beau Webster
Australian debutant all-rounder Beau Webster praised Scott Boland for his relentless bowling style. Webster highlighted that Boland has the ability to find wickets regardless of the conditions. He also noted that Boland’s consistency with his line and length makes him particularly challenging for right-handers.
“If there’s anything in the wicket he finds it, and if there’s nothing in the wicket he still manages to find a way through,” Webster said. “He’s relentless. Think it’s his line and length and his natural angle makes it really hard for right-handers, but when we see him go around the wicket to left-handers, it’s impressive stuff.”
Also read: Revealed: Why is Usman Khawaja wearing black armband in Sydney Test vs India?