Australia’s Mitchell Starc proved his lethal and match-changing bowling ability during this week’s day-night cricket Test against England. Consequently, England is falling behind the competitive curve. The match unfolded under the bright Brisbane sun, where Starc’s impressive performance stood out amid England’s efforts to regain their footing. As the game progressed, it became evident that Starc’s bowling prowess was central to Australia’s dominance.
Right from the first over, Starc was in command on the field. He remarkably bowled over the wicket to England’s opening batsman Zak Crawley. With that first ball, he wanted to demonstrate his map-making ability, his artistic flare to dictate the game. Starc’s average of 44.50 further highlighted his capabilities, significantly higher than England’s next best bowler, Harry Brook, who averages 27.66. This gap highlighted the difficulty England had in weathering their storm as they played their way through Starc’s unprovoked assault.
A Day of Challenges for England
As the sun started to sink low on the Brisbane skyline, Starc was not done yet, straining further on English necks. His first return delivery to Crawley could not have hit the mark more squarely. It did more than that; it set the tone for the rest of the inning. Crawley looked rusted and nervous as he threw his hands at short deliveries wide of off-stump, a vivid testimony to the mental toll created by Starc’s spell.
Starc showed tactical smarts in the way he changed his length and peppered Crawley with all the right bullets. A few deliveries in, he retreated some. This proved to be enough to make Crawley flail outside off, drawing back the curtains to expose the fascinating psychological warfare happening in the middle. On a horrid day for batting, Starc’s quality paired with some tough playing conditions meant Crawley was always going to be fighting to get into the game.
Meanwhile, Ben Duckett faced a similar fate. Starc here baited him into playing a high-risk stroke, resulting in a cheap early wicket as Duckett soon found himself in the slips. This was a key example of just how well Starc used the weaknesses in England’s batting lineup to his advantage, shoring up Australia’s lead even further.
Starc’s Tactical Mastery
Starc kept pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, taking wickets with all sorts of tricks during his spell. He sent down balls that swerved into the pitch, leaving Brendan Doggett to play some test-like strokes to balls bent on taking his off stump. England’s batsmen could never get comfortable, going mainly on the defensive as the Australian pacer judiciously varied his lengths.
One superb example was a perfectly drawn delivery just the other side of the off stump that Crawley decided to walk away from. This was probably a calculated decision. More than that, it exposed the fragility of the English side as they fall apart against the raw pace and hostility from Starc.
Starc’s mastery was evident as he made Duckett face deliveries immediately upon entering the crease, ensuring that Duckett felt the pressure right away. Starc can’t afford to pitch a ball up as he goes for a psychological attack. It flew past Crawley’s off-stump as he went to shoulder arms.
England’s Fight for Survival
Though England were hounded by the remorseless Starc, they displayed great character to keep their heads above water. They knew that if they were to have any realistic chance of winning the match, they needed to see off Starc’s threat. As each over went by, it became obvious with every next over that they were on the back foot.
Starc making Crawley play first ball told you all you needed to know about the Australian paceman’s dominion in the contest. Duckett had a great time responding to Starc’s balls. He unfurled his blade and perfectly placed a few runs over the head of point on the only areas England had answers for amid the gale-force blitz.
With Starc still toiling away all day, it only added to England’s woes. They couldn’t have chosen a much tougher opponent than Starc. His bowling was all class and a masterclass in what to do in pressure moments. His unflagging enthusiasm for taking wickets and talent for building pressure made life difficult for England, whose Test fortunes were in danger.
