‘Tendon’s basically gone’: Starc in race against clock to be fit for India

Mitchell Starc is in danger of missing a sizeable chunk of Australia’s blockbuster Test series in India, as graphic details emerge of his nasty finger injury.

The left-arm pace ace will learn next week how many games he can reasonably aim to play in the heavyweight battle when he visits a specialist and undergoes another scan on his battered left middle finger.

Mitchell Starc appeals for a wicket on Thursday as he bowled despite an injured finger.Credit: Getty Images

Though Starc courageously answered his captain’s call to help bowl Australia to an innings and 182-run smash-up of South Africa, the paceman has tendon damage and cannot straighten his injured digit.

The injury, known as a mallet finger, requires the wearing of a splint for six weeks, leaving Starc in a race against the clock to be fit for the first Test starting on February 9 in Nagpur. Starc can still keep fit by simulating his action though would unlikely be able to bowl with a ball in his hand.

Mitchell Starc.Credit: Getty Images

“From the scans the other day, the tendon’s basically gone from the top of the finger, so I can’t straighten it or any of that,” Starc said.

Such is Starc’s importance to the team’s fortunes in India, where speed through the air is considered vital, selectors would settle for him to be available for the latter part of the series. If they aimed for the third Test, Starc would have an extra three weeks to prepare.

“This stage I’m getting another scan in Sydney and seeing a finger specialist to work through all that,” Starc said. “Obviously, India is coming up, so we’ll see what timeframes are up after we work through those discussions next week.

“Hopefully, it fits in somewhere at the front end of the tour. Apart from the finger being out of action I can still train to some degree and bowl in creative ways to keep my bowling workloads up with the finger not impacted. That side of it will be fine, it’s just where the timeframe of the tendon comes into India.”

It’s expected a second spinner will be added to the squad for Sydney to be announced on Friday, while all-rounder Aaron Hardie has been floated as a potential like-for-like inclusion for the Cameron Green, whom skipper Pat Cummins described as “irreplaceable”.

In a positive sign for Ashton Agar, Cummins, who will have a big say on the make-up of his attack at the SCG, said Australia would pick the XI with one eye on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Agar would provide selectors with batting depth at No.7 and give Cummins a spin alternative who can turn the ball the other way to the incumbent Nathan Lyon, unlike offie Todd Murphy, who is regarded by some as the second-best spinner in the country. Leggie Mitchell Swepson is also in contention.

“It’s going to be the wicket in Australia that closest resembles India, even if it doesn’t spin big,” Cummins said. “It might give us a chance to look at one or two players that will go on that Indian tour ahead of that. First priority is to win the Test match.”

Senior paceman Josh Hazlewood declared he will be fit for the Sydney Test, saying he could have bowled 30 overs in Melbourne.

“At this stage I am. A few more overs to bowl during this game out in the nets. I had a good hit-out two days ago and the signs are good and feel ready and fit,” Hazlewood said on SEN.

If selectors blood demon quick Lance Morris as Starc’s replacement, Hazlewood could be in a shootout with cult hero Scott Boland.

Though the series is secured, for Australia there are no dead rubbers on the road to the Oval in London for the final of the World Test Championship.

They will start heavy favourites to complete a 3-0 whitewash over a shattered South Africa, whose captain Dean Elgar spoke like a broken man.

The Proteas skipper publicly slammed his team’s effort with the bat, saying they had lacked courage and fight after narrowly avoiding an eighth consecutive innings less than 200.

“Pretty weak performance, I’d say, in conditions in favour of really good Test cricket,” Elgar said. “[I’m] pretty disappointed on how things ended up. Whether it was today or tomorrow I still wanted to see us with a fighting chance and giving the Aussies a bit of a tough time and really taking pride in our wickets.”

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.