"The way they are talking about how they intend to play, there is more pressure on them than there is on us" - Scott Boland on England's approach 

Australian pacer Scott Boland believes England will be under pressure to maintain their aggressive approach during the upcoming Ashes on home soil. The England Test team have only lost two matches since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over the side in June 2022.

There has been early talk surrounding England's aggressive approach that has yielded positive results of late. Stokes has reportedly demanded fast and flat wickets for the five-match series and there is also a ploy surrounding small boundaries to tip the scales in their favor.

Stating that all of the pressure will be on England to commit to their playing style even if they are in trouble with the bat early on, Boland told AAP:

“The most interesting thing might be if we are playing on a wicket that is a bit juicy and we have them 4-30, then the pressure will be on them to keep playing that same way.The way they are talking about how they intend to play, there is more pressure on them than there is on us to play our style."

He continued:

"If the wicket is flat and not conducive to taking wickets regularly then it will be about how we slow their scoring to then get a wicket.”

Australia are the current holders of the iconic urn after having won the last Ashes at home by a 4-0 margin. The Aussies, however, last won a series in England back in 2001. Their previous visit to England in 2019 yielded a thrilling 2-2 draw.

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"I am not going to change too much from what I have done in the past" - Scott Boland

While Australia's red-ball pace department has been dominated by the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins over the years, the workload management has opened doors for fringe pacers like Scott Boland, Michael Neser, and Jhye Richardson to mark their presence as well.

Boland famously made his debut in the Boxing Day Test in the 2021-22 Ashes, registering figures of 6-7 in the second innings to help Australia seal the series.

Not expecting to deviate much from his original plan despite the challenge posed by the opponents' approach, Boland said:

“I think it is going to be very interesting to see how it all plays out but I am not going to change too much from what I have done in the past. I am still going to try and bowl the majority of balls in the same spot and try and get movement off the pitch."

Edgbaston will host the first Test between Australia and England from June 16 onwards.

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