Mitchell Starc would eagerly take back the new ball for Australia in the Twenty20 World Cup, and his pair of swinging pearls to destroy Ireland’s middle order at the Gabba provided a reminder of what gave him the role in the first place.
Over the two years leading into this tournament, Starc’s T20 returns with the new ball were solid but not outstanding – 26 wickets at 29.34 while conceding 8.38 runs an over – and he was hit hard on a few occasions by opposition openers at last year’s World Cup.
Mitchell Starc got the ball swinging at the Gabba.Credit:Getty
A similar outcome resulted when he steamed in at New Zealand’s Finn Allen at the SCG in Australia’s opening game of this event, and captain Aaron Finch and coach Andrew McDonald are choosing between Starc and Pat Cummins based on match-ups rather than reputation. It’s something that Starc is clearly still getting used to.
“It’s something new,” he said. “I generally take the first over and see if it swings. So, it’s a new role, it’s obviously something that began in that game against England in Canberra and a role that Finchy and Ronnie want me to play through the middle with [Adam] Zampa.
“I don’t think the role changes in terms of trying to take wickets, it’s just through a different sequencing of how the match-ups are through the power play and through the middle. The lengths probably have to change, and it’s probably not going to swing outside those couple of overs. I still feel like the role is to take wickets, but at different times with different partnerships.
“We’ve got Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat, who are fantastic with the new ball as well. I think it’s a positive that we’ve got plenty of options that may not be my only role or Josh and Pat’s only role. It seems to be my role at the moment, and I’ll keep developing that.”
Interestingly, Cummins has not enjoyed much success in games where he has taken the new ball over this period, taking six wickets at 36.16 while conceding 8.68 runs an over. But that’s more economical, it must be said, than Starc’s 9.16 in T20 World Cup games when starting the innings. In two games this tournament when given the new ball, Cummins has proven effective and stingy.
Either way, Starc has enhanced his chances of regaining the first over against Afghanistan in Adelaide on Friday by reminding all present at the Gabba that he has not lost the ability to swing the ball when conditions suit.
“You’ve got to make the most of it when it’s there, and we certainly did. It was a good power play,” Starc said. “That’s a big positive, the movement in the air, which is generally the case at the Gabba. We’ll see if there’s any swing at training in Adelaide and hopefully for us bowlers against Afghanistan.”
Hazlewood, meanwhile, admitted that he had been distracted by the parameters of net run rate as Australia tried to close out Ireland’s innings on Monday night. While the tournament hosts closed much of the run rate gap on England, Lorcan Tucker’s brilliant rearguard meant that there will still be some ground to make up in the final game.
“It’s sort of a catch-22. You’re pushing hard for wickets but then trying to save runs and it’s a bit of a different situation to what your normally would be, sequencing an over or something like that,” Hazlewood said.
“You see a batter move around and you probably go for the stumps more often in this situation to try and end the game, or something like that, and then they hit four or six. So it’s good learning and we created enough chances, but you’ve got to take them.
“When you’re bowling at it, we did great up front and to win by 40-odd runs when you get 180 it’s a hell of a win really. But it doesn’t feel as good after having them [5-25], but there’s always going to be a partnership through the middle.“
