"As a fast bowler you can't ask for a better ball" - Mitchell Starc as Australia cricketers recall best deliveries in the Ashes
Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc and a few other current Australian cricketers have recalled some of the best deliveries they have seen in past Ashes battles on Australian soil.
In a video posted by Cricket Australia, most of them picked Ryan Harris' delivery that dismissed Alastair Cook at the WACA in Perth in the 2013 series.
With Australia 10 wickets away from reclaiming the Ashes, fast bowler Harris came up with a gem. A ball that was initially swinging back in, hit a crack and moved away from the left-handed Cook's bat to clip the top of off-stump.
"I don't think as a fast bowler you can ask for a better ball. I think it was the start of the second innings, and right at the end, Australia won that series and that Test match. You can probably single out a number of Jonno's (Mitchell Johnson) deliveries as well," Starc said.
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins also picked Harris' delivery, saying:
"I was there at the WACA. I was running the drinks and the crowd went crazy."
Steven Smith described the Harris delivery as "amazing."
"I think the best delivery that I've seen was Ryan Harris to Alastair Cook, hitting the top of that off-stump, amazing ball," Smith said.
Will Pucovski, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Cameron Green also picked Harris' dismissal of Cook as the best.
Starting tomorrow we'll be counting down the Top 10 best #Ashes deliveries, on Australian soil. But first here's some current-day players' favourites.
Spoiler alert: Alastair Cook features. A lot. https://t.co/1rGQ0tljLH
"The lucky one Mitchell Starc bowled to James Vince" - Nathan Lyon picks his best deliveries
Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon picked two deliveries as the best he has seen in the Ashes.
"I've got two. Not even looking at the balls that I've bowled. Harris at the WACA against Alastair Cook and the very lucky one, Mitchell Starc bowled James Vince at the WACA," he said.
Marnus Labuschagne named Peter Siddle's hat-trick as the best he's seen. He revealed that he was in the stands when Siddle wreaked havoc on his birthday in the 2010 Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Remembering Phillip Hughes 💔
His career in pictures: cricket.com.au/news/phillip-h…
#63NotOut https://t.co/jPqXv2CNzg
The 2021-22 Ashes series starts in Brisbane on December 8.