Ashes 2023: Starc takes the buzz out of Bazball
On his day, Mitchell Starc can be very good but no one quite knows when that ‘day’ comes along. The left-armer can be wayward, he can be fast, he can look as if his heart is not in it and there is always a danger of him breaking down. But take the imponderables out of the equation, and he can also be an irrestible force. And no one is in a better position to support that assertion than England skipper Ben Stokes.
5th Ashes Test: Mitchell Starc celebrates after taking a wicket on Day 1.(AP)
Stokes had been in for 15 balls, taking his time to get his eye in with England at a precarious 193/4, when he was at the receiving end of a jaffer. A couple of deliveries were bowled on either side of the wicket and then Starc got it right. It was full enough to draw the batter into the shot and then the late movement beat him all ends up. The death rattle told him that his stay at the wicket had come to an end and the distant stare told everyone watching that the ball had been just too good.
It was a typical Starc moment. Up to that point, the pacer had created chances but his bowling figures were an ordinary 8-1-44-0. A drinks break somehow seemed to help things click into place and then, the wickets rolled in. England were bowled out for 283, after being 184/3 at one point, after being put in to bat in overcast conditions at The Oval with the pitch offering a fair bit of assistance to the bowlers. In reply, Australia were 61/1 at close of play, trailing by 222.
It could have been worse for England if Australia had not put down five chances including Harry Brook on 5 (he went on to top-score for the hosts with 85). Many of the chances were pretty straightforward and the poor fielding may have allowed Stokes’ team to put a lot more on the board than most would have imagined.
Still, it was Starc who helped them wrap things quickly. After dismissing Stokes, he accounted for Brook, Chris Woakes (36) and Stuart Broad to end up with bowling figures of 14.4-1-82-4. He was expensive but then who hasn’t been in this series. He’s found a way to fight fire with fire and ended up with 19 wickets in just six innings. His strike-rate of 34.15 shows that he has indeed been hard to keep at bay.
There is something special about watching Satrc in good rhythm. The pace is usually up there, he can swing the ball and bowl a mean bouncer as well. Pat Cummins can be brilliant and that is true of Josh Hazlewood. But the inconsistent genius of Starc makes for compelling viewing.
Almost as compelling as watching an attacking bowler go all out against England’s ‘Bazball’ approach. It is an approach that Starc won’t ever mind because, with the batters almost perpetually on attack, there are always chances on offer.
Starc took his 200th wicket in his 50th Test and has kept up his strike-rate despite being plagued by many injuries to accumulate 325 wickets in 81 Tests. These are elite numbers and place him among a very select group of bowlers. Only four Aussies have claimed more wickets — Shane Warne (708 wickets), Glenn McGrath (563), Nathan Lyon (450*) and Dennis Lillee (355).
It wasn’t Starc all the way though. For a while, it looked like Brook might take the game away from the visitors. He has shown himself to be a batter capable of playing with a fair degree of reserve and it helped the hosts to put up a decent total on the board.
It may not be enough though but if there is anything this Ashes series has taught us then it is that making predictions is a job best left alone.
