Boland retains Australian spot vs South Africa in 2nd test

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Last year’s Boxing Day hero Scott Boland has retained his spot in Australia’s bowling attack and will line up at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against South Africa beginning Monday.

The fast bowler will return to the scene of his test debut last December, with Australia selectors opting for Boland over Josh Hazlewood, who continues his recovery from a side strain.

Captain Pat Cummins confirmed Sunday that Australia would stick with the same XI that beat the Proteas by six wickets in just two days in the first test at the Gabba in Brisbane.

“We gave Joshy every chance, it just got to a stage where Joshy more than anyone else probably thought he was a bit underdone,” Cummins said. “It’s probably the mark of the man that he himself thought, ‘I don’t feel quite right’ and pulled himself out of selection.”

Boland has taken 25 wickets in his five tests at an average of 10.36. The 33-year-old Boland ran through England batters with six wickets and allowing only seven runs at the MCG last year to secure man-of-the-match honors on debut to help Australia retain the Ashes.

Australia will be looking to secure its first test series win against South Africa on home soil since 2005-06 by going 2-0 up at the MCG. The third test is in Sydney beginning Jan. 4.

Veteran opener David Warner will become just the 14th Australian to play 100 tests when he lines up against the Proteas. The left-hander will be hoping his milestone match brings about some runs in the red-ball format -- he has not scored a test century since January 2020.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar has confirmed at least one change to his side’s batting lineup but would not say who is in or out ahead of Monday’s toss at the MCG.

While Elgar praises their pace attack as the best in the world, South Africa is not making enough runs to give the bowlers a realistic chance. They have scored more than 400 only once this year, against Bangladesh.

Their woes were highlighted on the Gabba green-top in the first test.

“Our build-up in Brisbane was brilliant, we had two weeks that the guys were actually batting quite well,” said the opener, who was dismissed for three and two at the Gabba.

“It was a bit of a hiccup that we had (at) the Gabba. But both batting units had that, bar one batsman (Travis Head’s 92 for Australia). Going back to the drawing board, that was the biggest thing for us . . . “

Marco Jansen appears to be one player who can help South Africa maintain its strong bowling performance.

The 22-year-old Jansen has taken 40 wickets in eight tests at an average of 18, but he’s also grown three centimeters -- just over an inch -- taller than he is listed after having another growth spurt.

The 2.09 meter (6 foot, 7-inch) left-armer took 3-32 in the first innings at the Gabba and will be crucial to the Proteas’ chances of hitting back to level the series.

Jansen was a two-sport star as a teen -- a provincial rugby union player in South Africa when he was 16. But the position he played is a surprise.

“I played rugby as a flyhalf,” Jansen said of the position often played by smaller, speedier guys. “I stopped when I was 16 or 17 and that is when I started growing. I am 209 centimeters now. That was the last time I was officially measured.”

The Proteas had earlier invited Jansen to be a net bowler to help them prepare for tests. He recalled seeing greats Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel at those sessions and wanted to follow in their footsteps. Now he leans on the current trio of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi.

“Learning off them is special for me and they have helped me quite a lot,” Jansen said. “When I have a few questions they tell me to keep it simple."

Rabada said Jansen was living up to the challenge.

“He is an X-factor bowler and so natural. Watch him bowl and it is like he could wake up at 3 a.m. and do what he did in the first innings (at the Gabba),” Rabada said. “He is extremely natural. He’s gifted. He’s got height. He’s got pace. He’s got bounce. He can swing the ball. He can nip the ball. What more do you want? And he’s a leftie. That’s pretty rare.”

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Teams:

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon.

South Africa: to be named Monday.

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