Ponting Suggests Jaiswal's Playful Comment Fuels Starc's Intense Spell in Adelaide

Dubai, Dec 12 (NationPress) Ex-Australia skipper Ricky Ponting is of the opinion that a playful comment made by Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series could have provided Mitchell Starc with the extra drive he needed to put forth his finest performance yet in the second Test held in Adelaide.

Jaiswal played a remarkable innings of 161 runs in the second innings of the opening match in Perth. During this impressive display, he quipped that Starc was "bowling too slow." While this comment elicited a subtle smile from Starc at that moment, it was the left-arm pacer who ultimately had the last laugh, as he dismissed the Indian opener for a duck with a stunning delivery on the very first ball of the match in Adelaide.

Ponting, while analyzing Starc's performance in the ICC Review episode, posited that the veteran bowler might have drawn some additional motivation from Jaiswal's playful remark.

“Mitchell Starc is typically a very composed individual. He doesn't let too much rattle him, as seen in his current bowling. When a batter makes a comment, he usually responds with a mild smile. However, that smile might just be a facade for the intensity burning within. He bowled exceptionally well in Adelaide, didn't he?” Ponting remarked.

At 34, Starc remains one of the most illustrious fast bowlers in contemporary cricket. With an impressive tally of 692 wickets across all formats, he has secured nearly every significant title with Australia, including two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup trophies (2015 and 2023), the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021, and the ICC World Test Championship in 2023.

Ponting expressed admiration for Starc, highlighting how he has evolved his bowling technique to ensure durability across all formats.

“He truly deserves commendation. In fact, he’s probably been better in the last couple of years than ever before. I say this because he has become a more reliable bowler than he has ever been, despite maintaining a similar pace. He could bowl over 150km/h a few years back, and now he is in his prime, bowling in the mid-140s while also starting spells exceptionally well,” he noted.

“I was genuinely impressed by how he initiated his first spell in Perth, and the way he began his first spell in Adelaide was nothing short of remarkable. His pink-ball statistics are impressive, and feedback from some players suggests that the pink ball behaves similarly to the white ball,” he elaborated.

“We know Mitchell Starc’s impressive record with the white ball, and that could contribute to his success with the pink ball,” he concluded.