Scott Boland Becomes First Australian Bowler in 92 Years to Take 50 Test Wickets Under 20 Average

At the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), on the first day of the fifth Test with India, Scott Boland from Australia secured his 50th wicket in Test cricket. Scott Boland took out to hit that landmark with Nitish Kumar Reddy's wicket. And just a ball before that, he had already taken Rishabh Pant's wicket.

Scott Boland has really made his mark as a bowler by playing his first Test match against England in Melbourne in 2021. Boland is extremely special because he's the first Australian in 92 years, to reach 50 Test wickets and still keep his average scoring below 20. When compared to other Australians who have taken at least 50 Test wickets, Boland's average of 18.64 stands as the fourth-best in history.

Here are the best bowling averages for Australian bowlers in Test cricket:

Boland has the best-ever strike rate in Test cricket for an Australian bowler, ahead of many legends of the game:

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Boland started the day by removing the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal and nearly got Virat Kohli on the very next ball. However, Steven Smith dropped the catch at slip before Marnus Labuschagne caught it at gully. It took a bit of time, but Boland finally got Kohli out, dismissing him once again by having him poke at a ball outside off.

Pant and Reddy followed quickly, both dismissed in consecutive balls. Boland is on track to take his first five-wicket haul since his incredible debut performance where he took 6/7. Interestingly, Boland has made most of his wickets count by taking out top-order batsmen, not just lower-order tailenders.

Scott Boland's wickets against different batting positions in Tests:

Most batters dismissed by Scott Boland in Tests:

Josh Hazlewood couldn't play because of a calf injury, so Scott Boland is stepping into the series. Scott Boland is doing a great job taking over Josh Hazlewood's place in the team.

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