Boland removed Marques Ackerman for six, edging to Alex Carey, before Matt Renshaw produced a superb catch at first slip to dismiss Ryan Rickelton for 10. The Australian seamer also went close to a fifth when Temba Bavuma survived a thick edge.
After six or seven months without Test cricket, Boland admitted there had been some uncertainty over whether he would even make the side.
“I was probably a chance a day before and then obviously didn’t hear anything till we got here,” he said.
“So, yeah, pumped to be back in the team. Excited to be back playing after six or seven months off.”
His return has proved timely for Australia, with conditions at St George’s Park offering enough movement and bounce to make his disciplined approach effective.
Boland said the surface initially offered less bounce than he expected and the gusty conditions made finding rhythm difficult, but once he settled, his familiar method took over.
“My game plan is pretty simple,” he said. “I’m just trying to put the pressure on the batters as much as I can, get as many balls in a good area, making them make tough decisions, that’s pretty much my job in the team.”
Boland believes his preparation away from Test cricket has helped him return without needing several matches to rediscover his rhythm.
“For me it’s more a mindset, just believing that I can,” he said.
“When I come into a series, if it’s not the first game or if I haven’t played cricket for a while, that I’ll find my line and length pretty quickly.”
At 37, Boland is now the oldest Australian seamer to play a Test in over, but he sees that longevity as a product of having a clear role and carefully managed workload.
“I think that’s the beauty of only playing one format is I can pretty much just gear up my play,” he said.
“I don’t have to worry too much about bowling Yorkers or slow balls or things that sort of put your action a bit out of whack.”
