Shane Warne: Mitch Starc’s performance with second new ball was not good enough

There has been a lot of talk about Australia’s batting after the first Test in Adelaide but Mitchell Starc’s display with the second new ball was unacceptable for our spearhead, SHANE WARNE writes.

Mitchell Starc is under serious pressure to keep his spot. Picture: Getty

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There has been a lot of talk about Australia’s batting after the first Test in Adelaide, and yes it needs to get better – that’s a fact.

But Australia should have won. They had India 6-127 on the first day.

I have always heaped praise on our bowlers, because I believe we have one of the best attacks in the world, but Mitchell Starc’s performance with the second new ball in both innings was really poor and he is under pressure to hold his spot if he bowls in Perth like he did in Adelaide.

I don’t believe Mitchell Starc has found his rhythm yet at all.

So why on earth was he not playing Shield games, or grade cricket, or any cricket leading up to the Test to get that rhythm?

Mitchell Starc is under serious pressure to keep his spot. Picture: Getty

In the second innings there were 36 extras, and so many of them were so far down the leg side from Starc they went for boundaries.

It was unfair on Tim Paine for them to be listed as byes. There was no way he could have stopped them. If you are one of the best fast bowlers in the world, maybe you have a spell like that once a year. But he bowled at least a dozen balls like that throughout the Test match.

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In the first innings he took eight balls with the second new cherry to get one on the stumps. Then he bowled Ishant Sharma. In the second innings, not one ball of two overs with the second new rock would have hit the stumps — and he was bowling to the tail.

“It was atrocious, the worst I’ve ever seen Starc with the second new ball”

I believe we actually lost the Test match with the bowling with the second new ball in both innings. India should not have made more than 200 batting first. Yes Pujara played well.

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But, with the bowling attack we have, and the Indian lower order — which is really three number 11s to finish off — they should never had made 250. I’m not saying it was easy, it was stinking hot, and the Aussies missed a trick not playing an all-rounder. It could have made all the difference on the first day, having that fifth bowler.

I’m not saying Mitchell Starc cost us the game. But if you are doing CSI-style, forensic analysis over the match and look for where it went wrong, you’d look at his effort with the second new ball in both innings.

It was atrocious, the worst I’ve ever seen Starc with the second new ball.

Tim Paine speaks with Mitchell Starc in Adelaide. Picture: Getty

Anyone can have a bad day, but for the whole Test, Mitchell Starc didn’t look at his best. And there is no excuse for anyone not to be at their best for the first Test of a summer.

You can prepare any way you want, play as many games as you want, bowl as much as you want, do fitness work, have time off, and get that balance right. I thought Hazlewood and Cummins were outstanding, but Starc has to lift.

In 2018, he has taken 24 wickets at an average of 34 in seven Tests, and he took nine in the first match in South Africa.

Pat Cummins (left) and Josh Hazlewood were outstanding in the first Test. Picture: AAP

So that’s 15 in six Tests at 47, which is not good enough for your leading strike bowler. He has a lot of credits in the bank. But he needs to get better in Perth or he will be back playing Shield cricket. To get back in this series — and to win — Australia need Mitchell Starc at his best.

SHOULD AUSTRALIA STICK OR TWIST

If the Australian XI are good enough to play in the first Test, they are good enough to play in the second Test.

Shaun Marsh has been mucked around a lot in the batting order but, at the moment, people have to bat in the position that best suits the team.

If Shaun Marsh is best at four, Peter Handscomb at five and Travis Head at six, Usman Khawaja bats at three, so the only spot for Aaron Finch is to open — or he doesn’t play.

Australia must pick and stick with their batsmen. Picture: Getty

They will go in with the same team, but the only thought I had was including that all-rounder type — Marcus Stoinis is injured, so Mitchell Marsh for Handscomb. I just thought, in Adelaide, Handscomb looked very limited, and — for all the talk of a change in technique — I didn’t see it. I don’t think he’s got a technique which is sustainable for all conditions.

I would prefer an all-rounder like Stoinis or Marsh. It adds aggression to the side with an extra fast bowler.

ADVENTURE TIME

On the batting, I applaud the application Australia showed in the first innings. I think their attitude was right, to try to bat a long time and try to wear down the opposition. They made India bowl more overs than Australia did. But they didn’t have enough intent, weren’t busy enough in rotating the strike and scoring.

This Indian attack is very good, and when you are facing a good attack, you have to get up the other end. Every single run becomes really important, and Australia wasn’t busy enough in the first innings. Rotating the strike gets you going. Suddenly there’s a bad ball, and you put that away, and pressure starts to build on the bowlers, then you can start attacking them, show some more aggression. They allowed the Indian bowlers to bowl well. They did tough it out, in the second innings too and showed great spirit.

BUT, AND IT’S A BIG BUT

The end result actually flattered Australia. In the second innings Nathan Lyon got 38 runs, Mitchell Starc got 28, Pat Cummins 29, even Josh Hazlewood got 13. They got over 100 runs for the last four wickets, and that isn’t going to happen every time. You have to applaud their courage and their fight and determination. But the bottom line is the scoreline, and Australia was a long way behind India in the match, even though they nearly won.

Our tail saved papered over the big batting issue. Picture: Getty

The silver lining there is Australia played well — India could get better too — and they are in the series. This Perth Test becomes massive. If Australia can level it, imagine what Melbourne and Sydney will be like. Both Tests will be huge!

AND TURN IT UP A NOTCH AUSTRALIA

I thought the spirit of both teams was great, but if you said who got in the opposition’s face more, and who dictated terms, you would say India. The way they bossed the game, that’s the first time I can ever remember an Indian team boss Australia around in Australia.

Australia are close, very close. If they add the word intent into their minds, if they can be busy with the bat, and a little more aggressive with the ball, they will level the series. At the start of the series, I said India were favourites, and everyone laughed at me. Now they are 1-0, with their tails up. Time for Australia to show something.

Australia confirmed: Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

India likely team: Lokesh Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

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