Second Test: Starc Expresses Confidence After Achieving Six-Wicket Haul
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Adelaide, Dec 6 (NationPress) Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast bowler, showcased his remarkable ability to take wickets with the pink Kookaburra ball in day-night Tests, achieving his career-best figures of 6-48 in just 14.1 overs, which enabled Australia to bowl out India for 180 on the opening day of the Adelaide Test.
Starc made an immediate impact on a pitch with six mm of grass, trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw with his first delivery, reminiscent of his famous wicket of Rory Burns at the Gabba in 2021. He followed that with a double strike, dismissing KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, before eliminating Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy to achieve his first Test five-wicket haul against India.
“I don't know. I can't tell. I feel like the ball has been coming out well; we did not play that bad; they played better than us in Perth. Not that much to be honest (on if he visualized getting swing first-ball to Jaiswal). Nothing really changes game by game, was a nice start,” said Starc to broadcasters during the dinner break.
His impressive bowling display solidified his status as the leading wicket-taker in pink-ball Tests, and he holds the record for the most five-wicket hauls in this format of Test cricket. He also mentioned experiencing cramps towards the end of his spell due to the humid conditions in Adelaide.
“Certainly did not help the engine, got a bit cramped at the end. It (the pink ball) goes through weird patches, won't do much and then does go; on day 1 you expect with a little bit of grass to do a bit. Maybe with the forecast we have, it dries out a bit later on, but apart from the first hour when we were a bit wide, we were good,” he added.
