ICC World Cup 2019 | Will Australia continue to bask in Mitchell Starc’s glory?
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Stokes is valiantly leading the English fight back with 89 runs under his belt while Australia are relentlessly banking on Starc to hammer the final nail. All elated eyes are set at Lord’s, Stokes breathes heavily, Starc steams in, gets into his giant stride, releases the ball and gets it dead right
Result? England’s hopes are shattered with that one deadly delivery, that one striking delivery that cleaned up a high-flying Stokes and there was hardly anything he could have done about that ‘deadly’ yorker. Stokes kicked his bat and somehow picked himself in displeasure to take the long walk back in agony. Starc has done it again, he has won the game for Australia under the pump. Most of the geniuses at the crease would have fallen prey to that delivery, such was the brilliance of Starc.
This was not just one delivery, it was an emotion, and it was a moment that rekindled memories of a successful World Cup campaign from 2015, where he inflicted damage on this magnitude day in and day out. This is exactly what the left-handed pacer is known for – win matches with magic and this was a magical delivery.
There was never a doubt regarding his selection in the World Cup squad, but his languishing form was raising immense concern. But was there really a reason to worry? Well, those who have followed Starc’s career closely would know that it was only about time that a bowler of his calibre finds his zone and zen. Come the big stage and the lanky Australian has rediscovered his mojo at the very right time.
He looked a little rusty at the start, but there was no dearth in rhythm or determination. The hunger for success was clearly evident; the desperation for a good spell was looming all over him. After a modest outing against Afghanistan, Starc weaved magic at Nottingham against West Indies. And once he got into his zone, there was no stopping him.
Starc continued to wreak havoc in the games to come and revived Australia’s fortunes. His ordinary outing against India cost them heavily, which was also the only defeat till the South Africa game. Against Proteas, he bowled well but lacked support from the other end. Needless to say, Starc silenced his harshest critics with a bang and played a key role behind Australia finishing second on the table.
In knock-out stages, teams with better bowling attacks stand a greater chance of winning and one wouldn’t be wrong in tagging the Australian attack to be the best alongside India. Their bowlers have found form at a vital time and if there is any help in the surface, Australian bowlers will exploit it brutally. Starc’s form has been intimidating while Jason Behrendorff has silently proven his mettle and Pat Cummins, on the other hand, can fire it up out of the blue. Nathan Lyon has been a smart customer with his off-spin while Marcus Stoinis has fulfilled the role of a fifth bowler quite effectively.
Of late, Australia have been marred by injuries and the absence of Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh have affected them heavily while Marcus Stoinis’ participation is still in jeopardy. The team’s morale is definitely low and the onus of lifting it up and setting the tempo will be on Starc’s shoulders.
He is already leading the wickets chart by a mile and it would require a miraculous performance by others to overhaul those numbers. Starc was the highest wicket-taker in 2015 World Cup and is on course to finish with similar honour this season as well. Australia may or may not win this tournament but it will always be remembered for not only Starc’s resurgence but the kind of damage he inflicted. For now, he has a mountain to climb against a high-on-confidence English side, who have beaten two of the top sides to make it to the semi-finals.
England’s success largely depends on the way their openers fare and the return of Jason Roy is a testament to it. Starc, on the other hand, has a knack of killing the big game at the outset, like he famously did it against New Zealand in the 2015 final by getting rid of Brendon McCullum. If he manages to replicate similar magic in this high-voltage semi-final, there is no reason why Australia cannot tighten the noose around England at the start and push them on the back foot.
More importantly, Starc’s performance has brought that feeling of a confident Australian side in a mega event and he is looking like a different bowler altogether. He may not be the greatest, but there is only Mitchell Starc and will always be. His sheer pace, early movement and intimidating style typify the Australian brand of cricket. And for now, Australia would want all of this to click in the semi-final.
