Scott Boland becomes the oldest player to take 50 Test wickets since 1975

Australian pacer Scott Boland has carved his place in cricket history. On the opening day of the Sydney Test vs INDIABoland took his 50th Test wicket. At the age of 35 years and 267 days, he is now the oldest fast bowler to achieve this milestone since 1975. Add to that his incredible bowling stats – an impressive 18.64 average and a strike rate of 40.3 – and it is clear that this achievement is something special.

Boland reached the milestone in just 24 overs, sealing the moment with a dismissal Nitish Kumar Reddy. Earlier in the day, he was removed from Rishabh Pantsonce again showing his talent for breaking key partnerships when it matters most. As Boland picked his 50th wicket, the entire SCG rose in applause for the right-arm pacer.

Elite bowling average in Australian history

Boland's figures place him among the legends of Australian cricket. Among bowlers with at least 50 Test wickets, his average of 18.64 ranks fourth.

Major Australian bowling averages (min. 50 wickets):

• 16.53 – Charlie Turner
• 17.97 – Bert Ironmonger
• 18.41 – Fred Spofforth
• 18.64 – Scott Boland

The king of the strike rate

Not just the averages, Boland's strike rate is a record. His mark of 40.3 is the best of any Australian bowler with 50+ wickets, surpassing legends such as Fred Spofforth and Pat Cummins.

Best bowling strike rates for Australia (min. 50 wickets):

• 40.3 – Scott Boland
• 44.5 – Fred Spofforth
• 45.1 – Jack Saunders
• 46.7 – Pat Cummins

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Consistency against top hitters

Boland has earned a reputation for dismissing leading batsmen. Virat Kohli tops his list of frequent victims, with Boland having dismissed him four times in Tests. Other notable players including Joe Root AND Shubman Gillhave also fallen prey to his accurate deliveries.

Most wickets dismissed by Scott Boland in Tests:

• Virat Kohli: 4 dismissals.
• Joe Root: 4 dismissals.
• Shubman Gill: 3 dismissals.
• Zach Crawley: 3 downloads.
• Jonny Bairstow: 3 downloads.

Boland's inclusion in the series came as an injury replacement Josh Hazlewood. Far from just filling in, Boland has strengthened his case for a regular place AustraliaXI is playing.

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