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Starc was seen clutching his back on the third day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Mitchell Starc is fit to bowl longer spells in the Boxing Day Test
Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has allayed concerns about his possible back injury, saying he is fit and ready to bowl 20 overs on Monday if the situation demands on the final day of the fourth Test against India here.
Starc was seen clutching his back on the third day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
“And we’ve got 98 overs tomorrow of cricket and we’ll see how that plays out. We’ll push on. So no, I’m all good for second innings. It’s not something that is bothering me,” Starc told ABC network after the fourth day’s play on Sunday.
“My pace is still up… I still bowled a spell after it and I’m still in the low 140s (kmph), so I’m not concerned. If I need to bowl 20 (overs) tomorrow, I’ll bowl 20,”
The match is evenly poised with Australia finishing the fourth day at 228 for nine, a lead of 333 runs with a full day’s play remaining.
Asked if Australia should have declared and given itself more time and overs to enforce a win, Starc said, “You’ll have to ask (captain) Pat Cummins… you’ll have to ask the brains trust.”
Australia finished the fourth day at 228 for nine, leaving India skipper Rohit Sharma a bit irritated as the home team was in a spot at 156 for 8 at one stage. Australia’s number 8, 10 and 11 batters saw off nearly 35 overs and it could prove decisive if India doesn’t bat exceedingly well on a track which has remained true in all four days.
Bumrah (4/53 in 17 overs) was an artist at work in the first two sessions and found his ally in Mohammed Siraj (3/66 in 22 overs) as momentum suddenly swung in India’s favour. The former was unplayable for the better part of the second innings and completed 200 Test wickets on the day at an incredible average of 19.56.
But as luck would have it, he couldn’t complete his five-for as he overstepped when he had Nathan Lyon caught in the slips by KL Rahul. Insult to the injury was the last-ball boundary hit by Lyon. With immaculate length, awkward bounce and late movement, Bumrah had the Australian line-up in complete tangle but India let slip the advantageous position in the final session.
Pat Cummins (41 off 90 balls), Lyon (41 batting, 54 balls) and Scott Boland (10 batting, 65 balls) beefed up the second innings total, leaving a jittery Indian top-order with a mountain to climb on the final day.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
- Location :
Melbourne, Australia
