December 13, 2024: Australia has made a key change to their playing XI for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against India at The Gabba, with Josh Hazlewood replacing Scott Boland. Hazlewood, who had been sidelined due to a side injury, has made a full recovery and will take the field in Brisbane, marking his return to the Australian Test lineup.
Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, confirmed Hazlewood’s inclusion in the XI, stating that the right-arm seamer has shown no issues following his recovery. “Josh comes back in… had no hiccups. Had a really good bowl yesterday, had another good bowl in Adelaide a few days previous. He and the medical team are super confident,” Cummins said.
However, the decision to drop Scott Boland was not an easy one. Boland impressed in Adelaide during the second Test, where Australia leveled the series with a 10-wicket victory. Cummins expressed his sympathy for Boland, acknowledging that he has consistently performed well when called upon, despite spending much of the past 18 months on the bench. “It’s tough, he (Boland) was fantastic in Adelaide. A shame for Scotty, but still a fair bit to play out this series. I would be surprised if he doesn’t get another crack at some point,” Cummins said.
The third Test is a crucial match for both teams, not just in terms of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also for qualification for the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s next year. With the series level at 1-1, both India and Australia need positive results in the remaining Tests to secure their place in the final.
Here’s the Australia XI for the third Test:
- Usman Khawaja
- Nathan McSweeney
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Travis Head
- Mitch Marsh
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Pat Cummins (c)
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
The third Test will take place at The Gabba in Brisbane, starting December 14, 2024. Both teams will be eager to gain the upper hand as they look to stay in contention for the World Test Championship Final.
