Mitchell Starc, one of the architects of Australia’s comeback win in Adelaide, said the Perth debacle was put behind the hosts by shutting out the “outside noise” after the heavy defeat in the series-opener.
“There was a lot of noise outside after the game but we left Perth and went to Perth,” he told Star Sports after Australia’s 10-wicket win at the Adelaide Oval. Despite bowling India out for just 150 runs in the first innings, the 295-run defeat drew criticism from the hosts. But Australia bounced back in some style.
Setting the tone for their big win was Starc, who took a big wicket on the first ball of the match. Living up to his reputation with the pink ball, left-arm quick Starc gave Australia a dream start by dismissing Perth centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal on the first ball of the second Test.
Starc extended his excellent form with the pink ball in the day-night Test, becoming the most successful bowler in this sub-category of cricket. But he did not think that it would make any difference to succeed in the pink ball. “There is no change in my approach. Maybe a little full length. It (pink ball) is more like a white ball than a red ball,” he said. “We were really positive with bat and ball and got rewarded. It’s better when the ball hits the stumps.”
Mitchell Starc shows India what they lack (Reuters)
Starc has credited captain Pat Cummins, as well as pacer Josh Hazlewood, for helping him rise to the top and highlighted improvements in his bowling, including mastering deliveries that go away and swing back. Answering a question from Cheteshwar Pujara at the Mumbai studio, Starc also said that his accuracy and consistency have improved as he has been using the wobble seam technique in recent years.
“I have learned a lot from Pat Cummins over the last seven years. So I’ve added to my bow that goes far and still be able to bring it back,” he said. “I’ve always had that wind speed and swing but I’ve also been a bit of a leaker. The development of the wobble seam helped me improve my accuracy over the years.
(with PTI input)