Australian star pacer Mitchell Starc was not bothered by the back issues, and kept bowling until his team won the important Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Australia beat India by 184 runs on Day 5 and secured a 2-1 lead in the series with one match yet to play. Now, Australian captain Pat Cummins came up with a massive update about Starc’s availability for the final Test against India in Sydney.
Starc was feeling discomfort on his back during the third day of the Boxing-Day Test at the MCG. Even after the pain, he continued to bowl, which has raised concerns about his availability for the upcoming Sydney Test. However, Cummins has confirmed about Starc’s fitness to be closely monitored, and Initial assessments hint out positive outcomes.
For now, Cummins has stated that Starc is on his way to gain full fitness since the time comes for the Sydney Test, which is set to begin January 3. Starc remained wicketless in the first innings and managed to take just one wicket in the second innings.
“I think every fast bowler knows it, the first ball of a spell when you’re a bit sore, it’s always hurts a little bit more. So yeah, I’m pretty confident he’ll be fine. We’ll reassess in a couple of days but yeah, he’s managing a couple of sore bits, looked like his ribs or something. But he’s a warrior. He gets through. He never even contemplates not being an option to bowl. So, yeah, other than being in pain, he’s fully fully fit and available,” Cummins said in the post-match press conference.
The victory against India in the Boxing-Day Test has proved to be a massive confidence boost for Australia to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. Australia will be eyeing to secure another victory in the Sydney Test to finally secure their chances. Mitchell Starc being present with the team is going to be crucial for the final match.
