Andrew McDonald confirms Pacer injury

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has admitted that Mitchell Starc is suffering from some kind of injury or setback ahead of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India in Sydney. However, McDonald was still hopeful that Starc would be fit before the next Test.

Mitchell Starc struggled in the middle of the Melbourne Test and even walked off the field on Day 3 of the match due to a sore rib. However, he returned to the field on the final day and played an important role in his team’s victory.

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Andrew McDonald admits Mitchell Starc’s fitness concerns

Andrew McDonald spoke to reporters after the Melbourne Test and gave an update on Mitchell Starc’s fitness. Australia’s head coach admitted Starc was carrying an ache or soreness but believes he will be fine in Sydney.

“We’ll see how the bodies are. Obviously Starcy’s (Mitchell Starc) carrying something of some description. We’ll assess that. But other than that, it looks like we’ve come through,” McDonald said.

Andrew McDonald further revealed the reasons behind Starc’s availability for SCG. He claimed the left-armer threw quickly at a good pace once his body warmed up and seemed in good rhythm.

“It (the injury) didn’t stop him. There was a bit of discomfort early in the spells but once he warmed up he seemed to be quite free. The ball speed is good,” McDonald added.

Mitchell Starc makes a good comeback in the second innings

Mitchell Starc took the new ball in the second innings and bowled at good pace. He shared the bowling workload quite well with all the other Aussie bowlers and didn’t look in any sort of trouble.

The left-arm fast bowler took the wicket of Virat Kohli to give his side a vital lead and finished with 1-25 in 16 overs. Earlier, he had been wicketless in the first innings for 25 overs.

Starc’s fitness will be assessed ahead of the Sydney Test but he is likely to be fit in time according to his team’s head coach. In case he is not available, Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott are the other two fast bowlers in the squad as replacements. While Richardson provides the team with extra pace, Abbott is a capable batsman lower down the order.

Australia ahead of the series

Meanwhile, Australia have taken the lead for the first time in the series. They completed a comprehensive win over India at the MCG by 184 runs and are now 2-1 in the series. With just one match remaining, they will aim to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia will also be looking for a place in the World Test Championship final after winning in Sydney. The hosts will qualify immediately if they win the next test match. On the other hand, India need to win in Sydney to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the WTC final and retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.