Hazlewood reckons Boland has a role to play in South Africa

Australia secured a confident 214-run win in the Durban Test, the opener of the three-game series against South Africa, and continued their dominant run in the ICC World Test Championship 2025/27. 

While spin had its say, it was the pacers who made the most of the conditions, especially Australia's senior paceman Josh Hazlewood, who picked 6/49, as the Proteas were bowled out for 206 in the final innings.

The South African pitches support pace and bounce, but Durban had enough turn to warrant playing a spinner. Thus, Australia's experienced trio: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Hazlewood made their presence felt at various stages in Durban, but Scott Boland, who averages merely 18.58 with the ball, sat on the bench as Nathan Lyon served as the fourth specialist bowler.

But Boland might still have a role to play going ahead, reckons fellow pacer Hazlewood.

"He [Scott Boland] barely bowls poorly," Hazlewood was quoted as saying by Cricinfo. "Every net the boys come in, it's like, geez, Scotty again."

As the series moves to Gqeberha and Cape Town, the conditions are expected to become even more helpful to the pacers, which could make Australia look at boosting their pace attack with Boland.

"I think he'll play a part in this series [and] I think he'll play a part in the next 12, 18 months. [He's a] class act, his record ridiculous."

Boland's presence as an added seamer could ease out the pressure on Australia's senior pacemen, especially in a busy year ahead, which is all set to feature a four-Test series against New Zealand at home, a five-game series in India early next year, followed by a five-Test Ashes later in 2027.

"It probably makes it a bit easier on us if we are struggling from time to time to then think Scotty's there, ready to go. It can make those conversations a bit easier and it's more of a unit.

"Moving forward we can, not miss those big chunks, but we might miss a week or two here and there and things settle quicker and we've just got a nice unit here at the moment."

Hazlewood also discussed the impact of reverse swing in South African conditions, and how the Australian pacers were able to bring that factor into play.

"It's probably with Australia [pitches] being the green seamers, it [Reverse Swing] just doesn't get talked about at all

"The ball still looks new late in the innings if it gets that far. So it's more, if you go back to SCG years ago, we definitely got reversed there every year.

"Here in South Africa, it was just an abrasive wicket, it was very hard underfoot. We probably got a hint of it in the first innings and then as the game goes, it just sort of deteriorates more and you get a bit more. So we knew it was crucial."

For Hazlewood, the reverse swing factor came into play on wickets where the ball remained a tad bit harder, and the movement wasn't exaggerated.

"You probably want the ball a bit harder and a little bit of reverse swing rather than a lot of reverse swing with the ball soft. It's much easier to navigate as a batsman. You still want that carry with a harder ball. Just a hint of reverse swing I think is the key." 

Australia, who are the table toppers, will look to seal the series and gain crucial ICC World Test Championship points with a win in Gqeberha.

Series Schedule:

First Test: October 9-13, Durban  (Australia won by 214 runs)

Second Test: October 18-22, Gqeberha

Third Test: October 27-31, Cape Town