"Never Write off Mitchell Starc" - Fans react as Aussie speedster bags 6fer vs India in BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Mitchell Starc starred with the ball for Australia on Day 1 of the second Test against India in Adelaide on Friday, December 6. The left-arm pacer bagged a six-wicket haul, including the prized scalps of Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal. This was the first time that Starc bagged five or more wickets against India in Tests (21st game vs India).
Notably, Starc has the most wickets in pink-ball Tests. He has scalped 72 wickets in the day/night Tests. Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood are second and third with 43 and 37 scalps, respectively.
With the six-fer, Starc also returned to form after managing just three wickets in the first Test in Perth, where India won by 295 runs.
Fans on X lauded Mitchell Starc for his brilliant bowling display while many felt that Jaiswal shouldn't have sledged the speedster during the series opener because he has now apparently turned into beast mode. One user wrote:
"Never Write off Mitchell Starc."
Another user wrote:
"Top spell by Starc...Returns with the fifer..That statement from Jaiswal fired him up..."
A third user added:
"A small assistance from the pitch and ball, Starc automatically becomes deadly."
Here are a few more reactions:
Mitchell Starc shared his delight after his six-wicket haul in Adelaide. He said (via Cricbuzz):
"Feel like the ball has been coming out well. [on if he visualised getting swing first-ball to Jaiswal] Not that much to be honest. Nothing really changes game by game, was a nice start."
"It [the pink ball] goes through weird patches, won't do much and then does go, day 1 you expect with a little bit of grass to do a bit, maybe with the forecast we have it dries out a bit later on but apart from the first hour when we were a bit wide we were good," he added.
Mitchell Starc stars as India bundled out for 180
Mitchell Starc’s excellent bowling display saw India bowled out for 180 in the first innings. He dismissed Jaiswal for a golden duck before returning with figures of 6/48, including two maidens in 14.1 overs. Pat Cummins and Scott Boland also bagged two wickets apiece.
Nitish Kumar Reddy starred with the bat, scoring 42 runs off 54 balls, including three sixes and as many boundaries. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill also chipped in with 37 (64) and 31 (51), respectively. Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin also contributed 21 (35) and run-a-ball 22, respectively.
Meanwhile, India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli departed for 3 (23) and 7 (8), respectively.
Follow the IND vs AUS 2024-25 2nd Test live score and updates here.