Scott Boland Eyes Spot In 2025 World Test Championship Final Against South Africa

March 31, 2025: Scott Boland, the key Australian pacer, is determined to make it to the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, which is set to take place at Lord’s in June 2025. The 35-year-old, who played a vital role in Australia’s historic win in the 2023 World Test Championship Final, has been working tirelessly to ensure he is fully fit for the highly anticipated one-off Test.

“I’ve had my eye on that game since we qualified in January, so yeah I’ll be doing everything I can over the next two or three months to make sure I’m right for that game on June 11,” Boland said in an interview with the ICC website.

Boland was an instrumental part of Australia’s victory at The Oval in 2023, picking up five wickets in total. He was especially impressive in the second innings, with figures of 3/46, dismissing key players such as Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja. His efforts helped Australia lift the mace for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Over the years, Boland has proved to be a key figure for Australia, especially in challenging situations. His standout performances in the Border-Gavaskar series at home, where he took 21 wickets in three Test matches, were crucial to Australia’s 3-1 series win against India. Notably, his 6/45 in the second innings of the final Test in Sydney helped Australia secure the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy after more than a decade.

Despite suffering a knee injury during the Sheffield Shield, Boland remains optimistic about his recovery. “I think it’s just working out what’s working and what doesn’t. I’ve only had this knee injury for eight to 10 months. I think we’re going about it the right way,” he said.

The pacer plans to take a break and then gradually ramp up his fitness to ensure he is fully prepared for the upcoming cricket season. “I’ll have a little break now. But once I do get up and going, I’m hoping to just go really smoothly and if everything goes well, I’ll be right to go for that one Test in England and those three Tests in the Caribbean.”

Boland will have to compete with fellow pacers Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc for a spot in the squad for the final. These key players had missed out on the Champions Trophy earlier this year due to injuries and personal reasons, but they have since made their returns through the Indian Premier League.

As Australia prepares to defend its World Test Championship title, the team will look to maintain its status as the best Test side in the world against South Africa, who are making their first-ever appearance in the final. With Boland eager to recover and return to full fitness, the competition for places in the Australian squad is set to heat up in the coming months.