"The setup of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul was excellent" - Cheteshwar Pujara lauds Mitchell Starc's spell on Day 1 of BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Cheteshwar Pujara has lauded Mitchell Starc for bowling a potent spell in India's first innings of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He particularly appreciated the left-arm seamer for the way he planned Virat Kohli and KL Rahul's dismissals.
Starc registered figures of 6/48 in 14.1 overs as India were bowled out for 180 after opting to bat first in Adelaide on Friday, December 6. Australia ended Day 1 at 86/1 in their first innings, trailing the visitors by 94 runs.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Pujara was effusive in his praise for Starc.
"His line and length were both excellent. He has very good swing, but that swing is only effective when you bowl at the stumps. He bowled both full and short of the length at the stumps," he said.
"When the ball had gotten older, the setup of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul was excellent. His numbers show that this was his best bowling to date in Test cricket, especially against India. This was his first five-wicket haul against India. He bowled extremely well, and the way he varied his length was excellent," the veteran India batter added.
Starc had Rahul caught by Nathan McSweeney at gully with a short-of-the-length delivery for a 64-ball 37. He had Kohli (7 off 8) caught by Steve Smith at second slip with a similar delivery, with the ace batter getting late in withdrawing his bat from the line of the ball.
"Mitchell Starc is the kind of bowler you can never count out" - Piyush Chawla
![Mitchell Starc has an exceptional record in pink-ball Tests. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/99bce-17334960616008-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Piyush Chawla noted that a swing bowler like Mitchell Starc can never be taken lightly.
"Mitchell Starc is the kind of bowler you can never count out, especially a bowler who can swing the ball in any condition. A bowler who can swing the ball is never out of the game, especially a bowler like Starc, who has always done so well on the world stage," he said.
The leg-spinner added that Starc dismissed Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin with different lengths.
"He bowled short of the length and we were talking about Virat, he set him up. After that Ashwin, who was playing well against full deliveries from other bowlers, but when Mitchell Starc bowled full, he got late and the bat didn't even come down. So this was world-class bowling today," Chawla observed.
Starc trapped Ashwin plumb in front of the wickets with a full delivery for a run-a-ball 22. The 6/48 spell is his best in Tests and his first five-wicket haul in 20 longest-format games against India.