Joe Root remains most prized wicket for Australia: Scott Boland
What's the story
Scott Boland, Australia's fast bowler, has said that England's Joe Root is still the most coveted wicket in the upcoming Ashes series Down Under. This comes despite Root's struggle to score a Test century in Australia. The veteran cricketer will play in place of the injured Pat Cummins in the first Test match of the series starting on Friday. Here are further details.
Strategic target
Boland acknowledges Root's significance in England's batting order
Boland emphasized the importance of dismissing top players like Root, who was England's captain in the past. "In the past when Joe Root was captain you always wanted to try and take (him) down...make sure they have as little impact as you can," he was quoted as saying by The Independent. The Australian pacer hopes to keep Root and other middle-order batsmen quiet during the upcoming series.
Batting prowess
Root's impressive performance since last Australian tour
Since his last tour of Australia, Root has scored 16 centuries and averages 57.14, making him a regular at number one in the ICC batting rankings. Former teammate Stuart Broad expects him to perform well in the next eight weeks, especially with Cummins missing the start of the series. Cummins has dismissed Root 11 times in Tests, most by any bowler alongside India's Jasprit Bumrah.
Match-up impact
Broad highlights absence of Cummins as a key factor
Broad, who will be commentating on the series for Channel 7, said Root would be pleased with Cummins's absence in the first Test. He believes this could give Root a better chance to score runs. Broad also noted that the Australian press often questions Root's lack of centuries in Australia and hopes he can silence those critics by scoring big at Perth.
Pitch conditions
Boland anticipates challenges for England's batsmen in Australia
Boland also thinks that England's aggressive batting style could struggle on Australia's bigger grounds. He said, "Balls that would go over the fence in England have got a long way to go at grounds like here, the MCG and the Gabba." The Australian bowler added this would also help their bowlers as they would have to hit short balls further than usual due to larger boundaries.