It is hardly a revelation, but Mitchell Starc looms as India’s major obstacle when the teams clash during a blockbuster semi-final at the SCG on Thursday, 26th March 2015. Not long ago, it was Australia’s other left-arm quick – another Mitchell - who was perpetually petrifying batsmen.
But Mitchell Johnson has been unable to reproduce his brutal best in recent months, relegating him into the backdrop with the emergence of Australia’s new talisman. Unlike Johnson, Starc’s appearance does not exude intimidation.
He does not sport a Merv Hughes-esque handlebar moustache and isn’t covered in tattoos, as is Johnson’s proclivity.
Instead, Starc’s innate jovialness defines his boyish exterior. He’s an affable lad you can imagine lazing on the beaches of Bondi in Sydney on a hot summer’s day. That perception notably contrasts with the temperamental Johnson or an archetypical brooding quickie, like Glenn McGrath.
Starc sledges with a cheeky grin, rather than a snarl. When he banters with batsmen, it feels somewhat contrived, as if he really is attempting to placate Shane Warne, who infamously labelled Starc as “soft” during the Second Test against India last December.
Starc has made Warne, and other critics, look foolish with his wondrous deeds during a World Cup he has utterly dominated. At the tournament, Starc has taken 18 wickets at an astonishing average of 9.77.
Since his relatively middling 2 for 47 performance against England to start the event, Starc has claimed 16 wickets at just 8, including his virtuoso 6 for 28 rampage against vaunted New Zealand to nearly pinch a victory Australia had no right winning.
Even those incredible statistics don’t fully comprehend Starc’s feats and the aura he now commands. He has assumed the rarified air of being a bowler absolutely expected to take a wicket every delivery. When Starc starts his approach, a bubbly murmur reverberates around the ground. Simply, spectators anticipate something special. Batsmen, specialists and hacks alike, seem terrified over the prospect of fronting Starc. Honestly, it’s hard to blame them. It feels reminiscent of what Johnson was able to inflict on the hapless English last Ashes.
Starc’s pitched up bowling – swinging at sheer pace of more than 150kmh – is virtually impossible to counter when he is in rhythm, which he normally is with the white ball unlike the red. Top order batsmen have been unable to survive. Batsmen have dared not counterattack, testament to his accuracy. Starc’s deadly yorkers have decimated lower-orders.
Basically, he’s equally adept starting and finishing, along with bowling during powerplays. His versatility enables Michael Clarke to diversify his tactics.
His full length wickets, where stumps flay, have provided the highlights, but Starc has showcased nuance in his bowling. He is quickly learning how to set up batsmen, and is grasping the opportune moment to utilise full-length deliveries. Importantly, Starc also has a nasty short ball in his arsenal, making it equally uncomfortable for batsmen playing forward or back. His brutish short ball to dismiss New Zealand’s Luke Ronchi was frightening.
Starc’s World Cup heroics have been so impressive, it has evoked images of Wasim Akram’s best. So, what does the Pakistan legend think of Starc?
“I have been really impressed with Starc’s performances and it is great that he is realising his true potential because his talent is so obvious,” Wasim tells INNLIVE.
“He can generate bounce, has pace and can swing the ball sharply, so that is a very good package to have. I like the way he is running into the crease. He is moving so gracefully, with energy but he is not overdoing it. He has found his rhythm, which means he has worked on his action and is feeling very confident.”
Starc’s ODI career average of 18.62 and strike rate of 23.1 is better than any bowler in history to have delivered more than 1000 balls. He averages two wickets per game. Despite only playing 39 matches, it would not be a stretch of hyperbole to suggest Starc is headed on a pathway to become the greatest ODI bowler ever.
But his white ball brilliance hasn’t translated into the Test arena. Starc has played 15 Tests for 50 wickets at an average of 35. His bowling in Tests has been plagued by inconsistencies, and too frequently he leaks easy runs.
Starc has been dropped repeatedly throughout his tender Test career, as Australia has settled for a more experienced pace lineup consisting of Johnson, Ryan Harris and, until recently, Peter Siddle. Having only just turned 25 years old, it is increasingly likely that a prolonged run in the Test team is imminent. Starc has long been groomed as Johnson’s successor, as Australia salivates on a long-term pace trio of Starc, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson - the forgotten player in Australian cricket but the one who has had the most success in Tests of the three.
Wasim believes Starc is destined for a successful Test career because he has the skill-set to become more than merely a specialist white ball bowler, which has hindered players throughout the years, such as Nathan Bracken. “Starc is still young and he will continue to learn how to be successful in Test cricket,” Wasim says.
“It takes time to learn how to succeed in Tests, as batsmen have a different mindset. To be a good Test bowler, you have to be consistent and produce long spells. A Test bowler has to come back at the end of a long day and produce. You have to be prepared both mentally and physically. He has the talent, so I think he will make it.”
Former England paceman Alan Mullally, a tall left armer who was dominant in the 1999 World Cup, believes Starc is set to become “the best bowler in the world in all formats”. During a World Cup where a slew of batting records have been broken, Starc’s ability to produce both accurate and probing bowling has been “a standout”, according to Mullally.
“I was exasperated watching England and seeing them bowl half trackers, especially at the death,” he tells INNLIVE. “They either don’t know how to bowl yorkers or didn’t use their brains. Mitchell Starc has an explosive yorker and he is bowling with common sense. He is picking the right time to bowl them. An accurate yorker is still the hardest delivery to hit, and every pace bowler should be able to bowl them. The scary thing for opponents is I think he can get even better.”
Mullally believes Starc will provide India with major headaches. “Starc is taller and faster than Mitchell Johnson, and that makes him a very difficult bowler to face,” he says. “The Indian batsmen will need to have a plan to combat him, whether it’s being attacking or just seeing him off. But if Starc is firing, then it might not matter... he’s basically impossible to stop when he’s on a roll.”
Starc has had to shoulder much of Australia’s bowling burden due to Johnson’s inconsistencies, the unsettling rotation of Cummins and Josh Hazelwood, and the team’s lack of a front-line spinner. So far, it is a responsibility he has handled with aplomb.
Inevitably, Starc’s mystical prowess with the white ball is likely to be a major factor in determining the World Cup’s fate.
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