NEW DELHI: Due to fewer appearances for the nation due to the presence of the first-choice, more experienced pace trio of captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, former Australian pacer Brett Lee praised fiery pacer Scott Boland, referring to him as "Mr Consistent" and drawing comparisons to former Australian spinner Stuart MacGill.
Despite a strong start by openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul in the second innings, India lost quick wickets and finished the day at 141/6, with a 145-run lead and little batting firepower remaining. Boland continued to haunt the Indian team with his accurate line and lengths, taking four wickets.
Lee discussed Boland with the media on Saturday in Sydney.
"He is a freak. He is good everywhere. He is good here because the wicket suits him. Boland is Mr Consistent. His action makes him good, his consistency, his temperament. And he's under the radar. He is literally the world's nicest guy, he does not ask for the accolades, and he catches people off guard."
However, Lee believes that due to their accomplishments for the squad, the renowned Australian pace trio will always be the team's first choice.
"My gut says you have to pick those three (Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood) guys every day of the week," he said.
"They have achieved so much. Starc and Cummins are obviously playing now because they are fully fit but if Hazlewood gets his fitness back and is ready to play, unfortunately you have to go with Josh Hazlewood, and when I say unfortunately, unfortunately for Scott Boland. A fit Josh Hazlewood gets into any Test line-up, in my opinion," he added.
Boland's predicament was likened to that of former spinner MacGill, who, in spite of his skill as a spinner, was only able to play 44 Test matches for Australia because of the presence of the renowned Shane Warne, taking 208 wickets at an average of 29.02 during his career.
"It's a bit like MacGill and Warne, that is probably the best analogy I could say," said Lee.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less