Australia’s Scott Boland touches new high in his career post Sydney Test, check details

Pat Cummins-led Australia cricket team regained its hold on the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2025 after a gap of 10 years, but this could not have been possible without their ace pacer Scott Boland.

Boland, who took 10 wickets at Sydney Test – four in the first innings and six in the second – touched a new high in his career, securing the best bowling average in men’s Test cricket since the days of first World War, Wisden reported.

The Australian pacer was exceptional throughout the series and took star batter Virat Kohli’s wicket four times in the series. He took 21 scalps in three matches at an average of 13.19, with best figures of 6/45. He was the third-highest wicket-taker in the series.

Boland’s stats:

In 13 Tests, he has taken 56 wickets at an average of 17.66 and best figures of 6/7. He has also played 14 ODIs and three T20Is, having taken 19 wickets in these formats combined. Boland made his international debut in 2016 against India.

Boland’s Test average is the eighth-best overall in Test history and the best since the first WW (1914-18) among bowlers with a minimum of 50 wickets to his name in the format. The best-ever bowling average belongs to England’s George Lohmann, who took 112 wickets in 18 Tests from 1886 to 1896 at an average of 10.75, as per Wisden.

Among Aussies with 50 Test scalps, only Turner has a better bowling average of 16.53, with 101 wickets in 17 Tests.

Coming to the modern-day contemporaries with 50 Test wickets, Axar Patel (55 wickets at 19.34) has the next-best bowling average, followed by Jasprit Bumrah (205 at 19.40) and Kyle Jamieson (80 at 19.73).

Betty Wilson of Australia tops the bowling average charts among women players with 50 Test scalps, having taken 68 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 11.80.