“That smile on his face might be just a bit of a cover” - Ricky Ponting credits Indian batter for Mitchell Starc’s heroics in BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels that Yashasvi Jaiswal's casual sledge in the first Test might have stirred up Mitchell Starc, who responded with career-best figures in the subsequent contest in Adelaide. The young Indian opener had remarked that Starc was bowling too slow during his marathon ton in Perth.
Starc responded to the cheeky remark with a wry smile and later revealed that he had not heard Jaiswal clearly during the brief exchange.
Jaiswal had the upper hand in Perth as Starc finished with forgettable figures of 1-111. However, the veteran left-arm seamer made an instant impact in the second Test with the pink ball by trapping the young batter for a golden duck. Starc ran through the Indian batting unit to finish with 6-48, as the visitors were bundled out for 180 in just a couple of sessions.
Ponting felt that Starc was motivated after Jaiswal's remark, setting the foundation for the turnaround in Adelaide.
"He's actually a pretty level-headed guy, Mitchell Starc. He doesn't get flustered too much, even you see when he's bowling now. And if one of the batters does happen to say something, he generally responds with a little smile on his face. But I think that smile on his face might be just a bit of a cover for the fire that's burning inside. Look, he bowled beautifully in Adelaide didn’t he," Ponting said on the latest edition of the ICC Review.
Ponting further opined that Starc's first-ball wicket in Adelaide to dismiss Jaiswal set the tone for the Test, which Australia went on to win by 10 wickets, inside three days.
“Starc takes a wicket first ball, happens to beat Jaiswal that had made 160 in the last innings he played against Australia. And that really set the tone for the whole Test match. I thought Starc was outstanding. Career-best figures 6/48 in the first innings and then the captain (Cummins) comes into his own in the second innings and leads the way with the ball in the second innings. So lots of really good signs," he added
Starc finished with eight wickets in the game, as he accounted for the crucial wickets of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the second innings.
"He's probably in the last couple of years been better than he's ever been" - Ricky Ponting on Mitchell Starc
Starc has been a consistent performer for Australia in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. After being dropped for the 2023 Ashes opener, he responded in style by playing the next four on the trot and playing a huge role in the 2-2 draw.
Starc was in the scheme of things along expected lines in Australia's home season later that year and has had an equal say in white-ball cricket too.
“He certainly deserves high praise. I mean, he's probably in the last couple of years been better than he's ever been. And the reason that I say that is I think he's a more consistent bowler now than he's ever been before, yet his pace is still about the same as it always was. I mean, he could bowl over 150km/h probably a few years ago and he's in absolute prime now. He's sort of operating in the mid-140s, but his consistency, the way he's starting spells is really good now as well," Ponting said in the same interaction.
To conclude, Ponting remarked that judging by how Mitchell Starc is bowling, he still has a lot left in the tank to operate alongside Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins for the foreseeable future.