"I'll cherish this for a long time": Mitchell Starc reflects on milestone Jamaica Test

India Gazette

5 days ago

Kingston [Jamaica], July 15 (ANI): Mitchell Starc may have stolen the show with a fiery spell in Jamaica, but the veteran Australian pacer admitted that the Test match felt uncomfortable for him though certainly not when he had the ball in hand, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Starc's performance gave plenty of reasons to talk, he claimed a triple-wicket opening over, reached the 400-wicket milestone, and bagged his career-best figures with the pink ball, 6/9.
The left-armer produced a highlight reel of his own, full of deadly inswingers, shattered stumps, and batters trapped in front. Only one of his six wickets required a fielder's help. His 400th Test wicket came when Mikyle Louis got an unfortunate pad in the way.
The night before the Test, Starc was honoured with signed jerseys, a bottle of Jamaican rum, and a heartfelt video message featuring family, former teammates, and even players from his AFL side, the Greater Western Sydney Giants but once the match began, it was all business.
'It's certainly been uncomfortable throughout the week,' he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
'I was happy just to have a win and sing the song. It's certainly been a special week to play, to wear the baggy green. It's been one I'll cherish for a long time,' he added.
The game ended so quickly that fans were seen playing on the outfield before sunset. While Australia's dominance, led by Starc and Scott Boland (who took a hat-trick), looked ruthless, it wasn't a typical pink-ball collapse. On the first two days, wickets were hard-fought but on the third day, Starc tore through West Indies in daylight, taking three wickets in his very first over.
Interestingly, only nine overs in the entire game were bowled under lights.
'(It's) probably a win against the conditions in the fact that we only bowled ten (nine) overs under lights,' Starc said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
'I think everyone today with the ball was pretty spot on. I don't think anyone thought it was going to happen that quickly. We were talking about almost consolidating the scoreboard until we got closer to that night session,' he added.
'It wasn't a plan to drag it out. (But) if things weren't happening straight away, we knew that things would happen quicker in the night session. (It was like) this is what we want to do at the start, but if it doesn't happen straight away, let's just chill out and stop the scoreboard and cash in at night. Didn't need to,' he said.
Starc's figures in this four-Test stretch, starting from the World Test Championship (WTC) final, are staggering--20 wickets at an average of 16.45. His 6/9 now ranks better than his previous best of 6/48 against India in Adelaide.
'I felt like my rhythm has been pretty good for a while now,' he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
'Even coming into the lead up to Lord's, I felt like everything was clicking into place. It's been nice to have that carry on throughout the series. Today, again, just felt like everything was in sync and got some late swing. I think perhaps the breeze might have helped in the fact that I wasn't under lights,' he added.
Incredibly, Pat Cummins wasn't needed to bowl in the fourth innings, only the second time in a major match when he was fit. Between Starc and Scott Boland, the job was already done.
'I think a lot of the chat leading into this week is how resilient you need to be and professional to make it 100 Tests,' Cummins said of Starc, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
'(But) I think that's kind of the Starcy I always remember playing alongside. He can tear a game open by himself really in the matter of a couple of overs. It feels like he can do it in any format, any time,' he added.
Once a sceptic of day-night Tests, Starc had voiced concerns when the format was first introduced. While he still feels such matches need careful scheduling with Adelaide as an ideal example, his record says otherwise, 81 wickets at an average of 17.08 in pink-ball Tests. (ANI)