"Nothing special" - Mitchell Starc's nonchalant reaction to Yashasvi Jaiswal's first-ball dismissal on Day 1 of BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc stated that he did not do anything special to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck on Day 1 of the 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test in Adelaide on Friday, December 6. The seasoned bowler explained that his plan was simple - bowl at the stumps and hit the pads.
Batting first after winning the toss in the pink-ball Test, India got off to a disastrous start as Jaiswal was trapped lbw by Starc, the first ball of the match. The left-hander attempted to flick one but was beaten by a late swing. The visitors could not recover completely from the poor start and were bowled out for 180 in 44.1 overs.
Speaking at the end of the opening day's play in Adelaide, Starc was asked whether he had any specific plans in mind for Jaiswal. He said (as quoted by ICC):
“At the stumps, hit the pads. That's it. Nothing special."
The 34-year-old, who ended up registering career-best figures of 6-48, added that bowling straight and attacking the stumps is a role that he has been playing for the team consistently. Starc elaborated:
“That’s been my role for a while: to attack the stumps and try and make early inroads. Pleased to sneak one past today. We know how important it is to make early inroads into this batting lineup. It’s always a nice way to start. It is a big Test match, it’s a big series.”
Apart from Jaiswal, the Aussie pacer also got the big scalps of Virat Kohli (7) and KL Rahul (37) before returning to pick up three lower-order wickets.
"Some of the shots Reddy played were special shots" - Mitchell Starc
At 141-8, India were in danger of being bowled out for under 150. However, young Nitish Kumar Reddy once again stood up to the challenge, top-scoring with 42 off 54 balls, hitting three fours and as many sixes. The 21-year-old's knock featured some audacious hits to the fence.
Praising Reddy, Starc admitted that the influence of IPL and T20 cricket can be seen in modern-day Test batting, particularly among the younger lot of batters. The seasoned cricketer commented:
“Yeah, the game’s changed. I guess that’s partly the T20-era. Some of these guys come up through IPL cricket and there’s no fear. There’s expectation to be good from the get-go. They’re quality players from the time they get into international cricket, no matter what their age is.
“We’ve obviously seen a little bit of Jaiswal before in the last week, had a fantastic innings, and then some of the shots (Nitish) Kumar Reddy played today, they were some special shots. Whether it’s T20 cricket or coming into Test cricket or no-fear cricket from the next generation, I’ve been around long enough to see it change a little bit,” Starc concluded.
In response to India's 180, Australia went to stumps on Day 1 in Adelaide at 86-1 after 33 overs, with Nathan McSweeney unbeaten on 38 and Marnus Labuschagne on 20.