Scott Boland averages under 14 in Tests Down Under: Stats
What's the story
Star pacer Scott Boland recently set a new record by becoming the fastest player to take 50 Test wickets in Australia, in terms of balls bowled. The right-arm pacer achieved this milestone during the first Ashes Test against England in Perth, having taken just 1,639 balls. He took a special four-fer in the third innings of the game, laying a solid foundation for Australia's eight-wicket win. Here we decode Boland's stats in home Tests.
Elite company
Boland joins elite list
Boland overall became the fourth-fastest player to reach the 50-wicket milestone in a country in terms of balls bowled. SA's Vernon Philander tops the list, having taken 1,383 deliveries to complete 50 wickets in home Tests. Philander's compatriots Kagiso Rabada (1,548 balls at home) and Marco Jansen (1,633 balls at home) are the only other bowlers ahead of Boland on this list. Pakistan's Waqar Younis completes the top five, having taken 1,668 balls at home.
Boland in Australia
Best average in Australia
As per ESPNcricinfo, Boland took just 10 Tests and 20 innings to complete 50 Test wickets in Australia. He now has 53 wickets in this regard at 13.47. No other bowler with at least 50 wickets in the continent owns a sub-14 average. India's Jasprit Bumrah (17.15) and Australia's Pat Cummins (19.92) are the only other bowlers to average under 20 in Australia in the 21st century (Minimum 50 wickets). This puts Boland in a league of his own.
Career stats
Boland's impressive Test career
In his 15-Test career, Boland has taken an impressive 66 wickets at an average of 16.94. His current average is the best for any bowler in over a century (minimum 50 wickets). The pacer's best bowling figures in an innings stand at a remarkable 6/7. He overall has two five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul to his name.