Jhye Richardson surprised with Boxing Day Test call-up
Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson is enthusiastic about his return to the Test team. He will be playing in the final two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.
Richardson’s inclusion in the squad comes after Josh Hazlewood‘s calf injury ruled him out of the series. Australia needed an additional pace option.
While Richardson admitted to being surprised by his selection for the Boxing Day Test, he expressed excitement about his international comeback.
“Even a week ago, I was like, ‘I’m not really thinking about that just yet’,” Richardson said on Fox Cricket during the Scorchers’ clash with the Hurricanes on Saturday.
To prepare for his potential Test return, Richardson will miss the Perth Scorchers‘ match against the Melbourne Renegades. He played for the Scorchers on Saturday in Hobart.
He and young opener Sam Konstas are the new additions to Australia’s 15-player squad for the rest of the series.
“I just wanted to stay on the park and play Big Bash cricket and make sure that the body was OK and keep ramping up (the workloads) and following the processes that we’ve got in place. But here we are, and if there’s an opportunity, then it’s obviously really exciting.”
In the Scorchers’ recent loss to the Hobart Hurricanes, Richardson didn’t take any wickets. This contrasted with his Player of the Match performance in the BBL season opener, where he took 3-19 against the Melbourne Stars.
Richardson’s surprise at his selection was due to his gradual return to long-form cricket this season. Despite limited opportunities, he has consistently shown his talent as one of Australia’s best bowlers when fit.
Just a week prior, Richardson had stated that an international return was “unrealistic.” His focus was on regaining consistent match fitness.
He has played only one four-day game this season. However, he made an immediate impact by taking two wickets in his first over during Western Australia’s pink-ball Shield match against South Australia last month.
Richardson’s confidence grew after successfully returning to bowling after dislocating his shoulder while celebrating one of those wickets.
While he has played two T20 matches for the Scorchers since his first-class appearance, Richardson believes the transition to Test cricket won’t be difficult. His summer training has been geared towards the longer format.
“I’d probably argue that I’ve had less white-ball practice leading into this Big Bash. Having played a couple of second XI games and a Shield game, we’ve really been prioritising trying to build (my bowling) loads to get my body right for four-day cricket,” Richardson said.
“So I’ll probably find it easier to go back to red-ball cricket just from a preparation point of view.”
Richardson’s return has been carefully managed due to a history of injuries. These include a side strain during last season’s Big Bash and hamstring surgery nine months earlier.
This summer, he has played four One-Day Cup matches for Western Australia, two second XI games, and one Shield match. He sat out their most recent Shield game, which WA lost to NSW.
