Ashes 2021/22 news: Mitchell Starc lights up Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in fiery training

It’s the training session that will send a shiver down England’s spine after Mitchell Starc made two of the world’s best batsmen look like park cricketers.

Travis Head (R) has regained his Test spot. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty

Pat Cummins has put England on notice that Mitchell Starc is ready to break off the leash and silence his critics at the Gabba.

Not even the captaincy can convince Cummins to promote himself to open the bowling in the first Ashes Test, so strong is the confidence that Starc can devastate England with the new ball.

Starc was breathing fire in the Australian nets on the weekend, with the World’s No.2 and 4 ranked batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne jumping around like cats on a hot tin roof.

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Mitchell Starc ripped into Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne during a training session. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

It’s been suggested bowling changes and specifically when to bowl himself will be Cummins’ biggest challenge as a fast bowling captain.

But Cummins revealed he has a mechanism in place where lieutenants Smith and David Warner have been ordered to tell him straight if they feel at any point that he needs to get himself into the attack.

It’s clear Cummins will be a skipper who backs in his quicks and the confidence in Starc returning to his rip-snorting best at the Gabba is palpable.

“Starcy is great … He’s been building up nicely. We had a really good centre wicket yesterday and he was fast, he was swinging the ball big,” said Cummins.

“We weren’t surprised but it was great to see. Some of the best batters in the world, Steve Smith and Marnus and it looked like Starcy was a handful to them, so all good signs.”

Starc has been the talk of the Australian camp all week with the way he has dominated training sessions, particularly on Saturday when he was bowling serious heat at the batsmen in an intense net hit-out.

Cummins and Josh Hazlewood couldn’t help but laugh in awe at the exhibition Starc was putting on with Cummins quipping, “have a shower now”, as if Starc’s work was over after one unplayable ball.

For years leading commentators headed by Shane Warne and Brett Lee have lamented Australia’s decision to consistently leave Cummins as a first-change bowler.

Now, even with the power to change the order, Cummins is resisting – and has declared he will back in Starc and Josh Hazlewood to deliver with the new Kookaburra.

“I probably won’t first up. In recent years we’ve been quite fluid depending on the situation. I haven’t made up my mind but probably Joshy and Starcy will start off, me not far behind them,” he said.

Travis Head (R) has regained his Test spot. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty

“But that might change. If it’s late in the day and it’s only a couple of overs, I might feel like I want to have a crack.”

When Cummins captained NSW in a couple of one-dayers earlier this year he appointed experienced head Moises Henriques as a spotter to tell him with straight honesty if he felt the skipper was either over or under bowling himself.

Henriques told him on a couple of occasions that he needed to bring himself into the attack, and Cummins is relying on teammates to do the same for him in Test cricket.

“Yeah I will. Moey was great for me at NSW. Just a guy I really trust and really respect his decision and I have a fair few of them out there with me (in the Test team),” said Cummins.

“Steve as vice-captain, Davey Warner or even the other bowlers, I’ll be sounding them out and making sure they’re pretty strong in their feedback.”

Mitchell Starc chats to coach Justin Langer. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

Meanwhile, Cummins says the way Travis Head responded to being axed from the Test team last summer is what has secured his selection for the Gabba.

As revealed by News Corp on Friday, Head has beaten the experienced Usman Khawaja to the No.5 batting position.

“It’s a tight one. Selectors make the call but they’re just both really good options and have had really strong form,” said Cummins.

“I think the experience is great from Uzzie and we feel really lucky to have that in the squad but Trav has played a lot for us the last couple of years and he’s gone away and churned out runs over in England and here in Australia and we feel like he’s really ready to go.”