Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt believes that Australian speedster Mitchell Starc can make things difficult for the Indian opening duo Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill if he gets his rhythm right in the new ball of the innings. The 33-year-old is regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the World, as played a vital role for the Baggy Greens over the last decade or so.
The Left arm pacer could be one of the few players to win ICC titles in all formats if he wins the ICC World Test Championship against India in the much-awaited final. The Speedster played a crucial role in his team’s success in the 2015 World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup winning the titles for his side.
Speaking on his youtube channel, former Pakistan Cricketer Salman Butt feels that the Australian pacer Starc can trouble the Indian openers if gets the line and length right from the start, as he can bowl inswingers at a good pace and believes that if the Indian openers can get through the initial phase then they have a great chance of dominating the Aussies attack.
“If Mitchell Starc gets it right, he can surely make things difficult for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. He has a very good inswinger and bowls at a good pace. We have seen that Rohit Sharma is vulnerable against left-armers. However, if those two get set, they can put Australian bowlers under pressure,” Salman Butt said.
Shubman Gill is expected to play a vital for the Men in Blue alongside skipper Rohit Sharma against Australia at the top of the order as the Indian team will be desperate to win the upcoming clash after losing against New Zealand in the first edition of the WTC final.
India Has A Stronger Batting Lineup Out Of The Two Teams – Salman Butt
The former Cricketer feels that the Indian team has a better batting lineup among the two teams and reckons that the conditions in the oval might not be similar to Lords or Leeds, where the ball swings a lot and said that the Oval offers a lot of pacers and bounce, which can be utilized by the Indian batters.
“India has a stronger batting lineup out of the two teams. Also, the conditions that you would get at The Oval won’t be the typical English conditions. It isn’t similar to Lords or Leeds where the ball tends to swing a lot for the first couple of hours. The Oval offers pace and bounce which makes shot-making easier,” Salman Butt added.
The Indian team will rely on the experiences of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane to put in some good scores for India in the 1st innings, to give their side a chance against the mighty Australian team in the mouth-watering encounter.