Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, has stated that Mitchell Starc is carrying an injury or niggle ahead of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India in Sydney. However, McDonald remained optimistic that Starc would be healthy for the upcoming Test.
Mitchell Starc battled halfway through the Melbourne Test and even took off the field during the third day of the match owing to pain in his ribcage. However, he returned to the pitch on the last day and helped his side win.
Mitchell Starc grabbed the new ball in the second innings and bowled fast. He shared the bowling workload well with the other Australian bowlers and showed no signs of strain.
The left-arm fast bowler dismissed Virat Kohli to give his team a crucial breakthrough, finishing with 1-25 in 16 overs. Previously, he went wicketless in the first innings for 25 overs.
Andrew McDonald gives update on Mitchell Starc’s fitness ahead of Sydney Test
Andrew McDonald talked with reporters after the Melbourne Test, providing an update on Mitchell Starc’s fitness. The Australia head coach confessed that Starc has a niggle or pain, but believes he will be OK for Sydney.
“We’ll see how the bodies are. Clearly, Starcy’s (Mitchell Starc) carrying something of some description. We’ll assess that. But other than that, it looks as though we got through,” McDonald stated.
Andrew McDonald explained the reasons behind Starc’s availability for SCG. He reported that after warming up, the left-arm fast bowled at a good pace and appeared to be in good rhythm.
“It (the injury) didn’t stop him. There was a little bit of discomfort early on in spells, but once he got warm, it seemed as though he was pretty free. Ball speeds are good,” McDonald added.
Starc’s fitness will be checked ahead of the Sydney Test, but he is expected to be ready on time, according to his team’s head coach. Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott are the other two fast bowlers in the squad who can fill in for him if he is unavailable. While Richardson adds speed to the lineup, Abbott is a good batter in the bottom of the order.
Australia on road for WTC 2025 final qualifcation
Australia leads the series for the first time. They defeated India by 184 runs at the MCG and currently lead the series 2-1. With only one match remaining, they will be looking to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Following their victory in Sydney, Australia will be looking to go to the World Test Championship Final. If the hosts win their next Test match, they will automatically qualify. Conversely, India must win in Sydney to maintain their chances of qualifying for the WTC final and retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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