Australian bowler Scott Boland revealed his strategy to dismiss Virat Kohli for the third time in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. series. Scott Boland said the team has clear plans for when to bowl to Virat Kohli, adding that Australia are tweaking the line up to the fifth stump a bit.
Virat Kohli scored 17 runs off 69 balls on the first day 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 finished the day on September 1, with Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Usman Khawaja on the last ball of the day.
We have pretty much set plans on how we want to bowl with him – Scott Boland
Scott Boland said that Virat Kohli tends to leave many deliveries early but wants to play the ball once he settles on the crease. Boland noted that they are adjusting their lines to the fifth stump after Kohli settles down and added that it has been effective so far in this series.
“We’ve got a pretty set plan on how we want to bowl him. He kind of feels like he goes away a lot and then he wants to play the ball when he comes in. So when he comes in, we just want to change our lines a little bit to the fifth stump and it’s working right now,” he said is Boland on Fox Cricket Australia’s success against Kohli this season.
Virat Kohli could have been dismissed for a Golden Duck from Scott Boland
Virat Kohli could have been dismissed on his first ball when the third umpire did not rule out the catch, as the ball appeared to be touching the ground. He was eventually caught brilliantly by Beau Webster at third slip off the bowling of Scott Boland.
The pressure from Australia’s bowling was too much for Kohli, who pushed the ball outside his body and was caught in the cordon. This was the fourth time Boland had dismissed Kohli in Tests. Boland picked up the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), Rishabh Pant (40), and Nitish Kumar (0) in the first innings.
His natural angle really makes it difficult for righties – Beau Webster
Australian debutant all-rounder Beau Webster has praised Scott Boland for his tireless bowling style. Webster pointed out that Boland has the ability to find the goal regardless of the conditions. He also noted that Boland’s consistency with his line and length makes him especially challenging for right-handers.
“If there’s something in the lane, he finds it, and if there’s nothing in the lane, he still manages to find the lane,” Webster said. “He’s relentless. I think his line and his length and his natural angle make it difficult for righties, but when you see him go around the wicket with lefties, it’s an impressive thing.”
Also read: Revealed: Why is Usman Khawaja wearing a black armband in Sydney Test against India?
