Trent Boult bowling in the warm-up match. Photo / Photosport
Trent Boult bowling in the warm-up match. Photo / Photosport
He made his debut in one of New Zealand's most famous test victories, and now Trent Boult is hoping to help inspire another on his return to the Black Caps.
Boult's first taste of test cricket was in the Black Caps' stunning seven-run win over Australia in Hobart in 2011,and eight years on, Boult is back on Australian soil and looking to spoil the party at the MCG.
There are some similarities between 2011 and the situation the Black Caps currently find themselves in. Many had written them off after the first test in 2011, where they were walloped by nine wickets in Brisbane, only to fight back in the second test.
Boult produced figures of 3-29 and 1-51 in the victory, but the undoubted star of the test was Doug Bracewell, who produced the best day of his cricketing career to take 6-40 in the final innings, and ending with nine wickets for the match.
The Black Caps haven't beaten Australia in a test since that day, and they might require another player to produce a career-defining day in order to claim victory in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
That man could well be Boult, who missed the first test defeat in Perth with a rib injury, but is set to return in Melbourne after getting through net sessions and a warm-up game with a Victoria XI.
"It's all going well, I feel I've ticked the right boxes in terms of my rehab," Boult said.
"I'll hopefully be out there in a couple of days in front of a good crowd and playing some good cricket."
Trent Boult bowling in the warm-up match. Photo / Photosport
Question marks still linger on what the Black Caps bowlers can expect from the MCG pitch. Usually a batsman-friendly deck, the pitch caused controversy earlier this month when a Sheffield Shield game was called off due to player safety fears.
Head curator Matt Page said the groundstaff had learned from that mistake, and predicted that a wicket would be produced that had less pace and bounce than the one in Perth, but should offer more seam movement.
For Boult, those would be excellent conditions to make his return in.
"From my point of view I'd love to see that happen, but it looks like we're entering an unknown in a slight way with how the wicket is going to react. We're just looking for a solid wicket and a test match that is going to go the distance.
"I'm hoping to pitch the ball up, swing it around, and hopefully take a few wickets that way, but we'll see what happens."
Trent Boult celebrates the wicket of Tom Latham for the Victoria XI. Photo / Photosport
Boult bowled for a Victoria XI against the Black Caps on Sunday in order to get some competitive overs under his belt. He dismissed Tom Latham in his opening spell, and despite that slight annoyance, Latham was pleased to see Boult back in action.
"It was good to see him running in pretty hard and even in the nets the other day he was his usual self – he was bouncing around which was a good sign.
"It's great to have the quality of Trent come back into the side – to have a world-class bowler come back into our team is obviously great for our side, and hopefully we'll see Trent back at his best."
But, despite all the positive signs in the build-up, Boult knows nothing can quite prepare him for what he'll face come Thursday.
"I've been ticking the right boxes in the nets but come the middle, with the cameras on and 90,000 people watching you, it's definitely a different occasion.
"But I'm looking forward to embracing that challenge."
