Australia A to Face Stern Challenge from India A at the MCG in Four-Day Showdown

The vacant batting spot in Australia’s Test side will once again be the primary focus of attention as Australia A lock horns with their India A counterparts in the second four-day clash at the iconic MCG. However, quick bowler Scott Boland is eyeing this opportunity to keep the pressure on India Test squad member KL Rahul, who has arrived early to feature for India A.

Boland Eager to Impress Against Rahul

Rahul, who averaged a mere 20.77 in his five Tests in Australia despite a century at the SCG in 2015, could come into contention for the first Test in Perth if Rohit Sharma misses the game for personal reasons. Boland sees this as a chance to make an impression on the Indian batsman. “I was lucky to bowl to him in a Test over in India a couple of years ago, but it’ll be great to play against him in our backyard,” he said. “He’s a world-class player, but someone I think we can get on top of pretty early and hopefully stay on top of him for the majority of the summer.”

Boland, who is expected to be the reserve quick in the Test squad, is being primed to feature at some point, with the belief that the big three of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood getting through the entire home summer last season was an “outlier” and reinforcements will likely be needed.

India A Adopts Different Approach to Preparations

The visiting Indians, who suffered a 3-0 defeat against New Zealand, will have a different approach to their preparations for the Test series. The scheduled intra-squad game with India A has been turned into a match simulation, giving the team more flexibility in their preparations. “The way they’ll structure their team will be completely different to what you see over in India,” Boland noted, highlighting the contrasting conditions in Australia.

As the anticipation builds for the upcoming four-day clash, the spotlight will once again be on the competition for the vacant batting spot in the Australian Test side, with Boland determined to make his mark against the likes of KL Rahul and the rest of the India A lineup.

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