December 23, 2024: Veteran Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has praised Mitchell Starc as the standout bowler for Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series, calling him the “best bowler” for the hosts. Pujara’s comments come ahead of the crucial Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), with the series tied at 1-1 after India secured a draw in the third Test in Brisbane.
Starc, who has been a mainstay in Australia’s pace attack since his Test debut in 2011, has been in excellent form throughout the ongoing series. In the first three Tests, he has claimed 14 wickets at an impressive average of 22.86, making him the second-highest wicket-taker in the series after India’s Jasprit Bumrah. Starc’s standout performances have not only made him a key threat for India but have also elevated his status as Australia’s most effective bowler in this series.
Pujara, who has faced Starc numerous times in his career, noted that the left-arm pacer has significantly improved over the past year and a half. Reflecting on his own experiences, Pujara stated that Starc’s recent form is a marked improvement from previous series, especially in 2018 and 2021, when he felt more confident facing him. Pujara now sees a different, more dangerous version of Starc in the ongoing series.
“He has been the best bowler for them in this series,” Pujara said. “And the way Mitchell Starc has played in the last 1-1.5 years, he has brought a lot of improvement. And he has a lot of ability. If I talk about my personal experience, when he used to play in the last series in 2018 or 2021, I used to feel that if he plays against me, I will get runs. And now, when he is playing in this series, it feels like he will take wickets.”
Pujara also highlighted the key changes in Starc’s game, particularly his line length and accuracy. According to Pujara, Starc has reduced the number of loose deliveries he bowls and has become more consistent in hitting the good length spot. This improvement has made Starc more difficult to face, with the pacer now relying on a more disciplined approach that has paid dividends.
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“So, what is the difference?” Pujara explained. “The difference is that his line length, his accuracy has increased a lot. He is bowling very few loose deliveries. He is playing on the stump. Every ball is hitting the good length spot. He is getting swing. So the change he has brought in his game has made him a different player. And he is looking more dangerous than Cummins and Hazlewood.”
Despite Starc’s impressive form, Pujara pointed out that the Australian pacer tends to lose effectiveness in the latter stages of an innings, particularly after the first spell. Pujara noted that Starc is most dangerous in the first 5-7 overs, during which he has been highly successful in taking wickets. To counter this, Pujara suggested that India’s top order needs to play carefully during Starc’s new ball spell and make the most of his fatigue in the later stages.
“We will have to take care of his game, especially from the new ball,” Pujara said. “In the first 5 overs, his first spell, he has taken the most wickets. So if there is good batting in the first 5 overs, bring him for the 2nd or 3rd spell. Because he gets tired. So the batting of the top order so far, our top order has never played in the 3rd or 4th spell. The ones who have played are the lower middle order and the tail enders. And there we saw that when Bumrah and Akash were batting, when Mitchell Starc was bowling, he was not that effective. So they will have to play their new game well.”
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Australia has made a couple of squad changes to address injury concerns and strengthen their lineup. Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out of the series due to a calf strain, has been replaced by Scott Boland. Additionally, Beau Webster, Jhye Richardson, and Sam Konstas have been added to the Australian squad as potential reinforcements.
India Squad:
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Jasprit Bumrah (VC)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Abhimanyu Easwaran
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Devdutt Padikkal
- KL Rahul
- Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper)
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper)
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Siraj
- Akash Deep
- Prasidh Krishna
- Harshit Rana
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Washington Sundar
Australia Squad:
- Pat Cummins (C)
- Sean Abbott
- Scott Boland
- Alex Carey
- Travis Head (VC)
- Josh Inglis
- Usman Khawaja
- Sam Konstas
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Nathan Lyon
- Mitchell Marsh
- Jhye Richardson
- Steve Smith (VC)
- Mitchell Starc
- Beau Webster
Pujara’s praise for Mitchell Starc underscores the high level of respect the Australian pacer commands in the cricketing world. His performances in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy have been key to Australia’s bowling attack, and with the series now tied 1-1, Starc will play a crucial role in the upcoming Boxing Day Test. As both teams look to gain an upper hand, Starc’s threat with the ball, particularly in the early overs, will be pivotal to Australia’s success.
