'Sachin Was Not Able To Cope...': Ponting Recalls Moment When He Realised Starc Is 'Extra Special'

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Mitchell Starc's remarkable 6/9 spell in his 100th Test against West Indies prompted Ricky Ponting to recall Starc's 2012 spell to Tendulkar. Starc also reached 400 Test wickets.
Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast-bowling spearhead, delivered a remarkable spell in his 100th Test against the West Indies. This performance prompted legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting to reminisce about Starc's memorable spell to Sachin Tendulkar in Perth in 2012, which hinted at his destined greatness.
In the pink-ball Test in Jamaica, Starc claimed a career-best five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, ending with figures of 6/9 as the West Indies were bowled out for 27, the second-lowest total in Test cricket history. Ponting recalled how Starc, in only his third Test, kept Tendulkar under control by targeting his shoulder during the second innings of the WACA Test in 2012.
'I remember, he was bowling a spell to Sachin Tendulkar and was able to sort of bowl a short one, get up under Sachin's armpit and Sachin just sort of knocked one into short leg on the leg side.
'And when you could see that sort of pace and bounce and have someone like Sachin not be able to cope with it, I think that was the reassurance for all of us that there was probably something extra special there for Mitchell Starc," said Ponting on The ICC Review show.
'He's got better and better. Like skill-wise and mentally, I think he understands his body and game probably better than ever, especially in the last couple of years.
'He's added a couple of different skills, maybe in the last two or three years, that don't seem like massive things, but he's sort of incorporated that three-quarters seam, that wobble seam delivery that's just made his in-swing a little bit more potent and given him more variation.
'A lot of that physical stuff has never been questioned with him. It's been spoken about a fair bit this week. He's made a lot of decisions to give himself the best opportunity for a long-term international career. When I say decisions, I mean by standing out of different IPL tournaments at different times when he's had bigger international commitments coming up," elaborated Ponting.
He concluded by noting the small but meaningful routines Starc has developed over the years to keep himself focused while bowling. 'When I talk about working out his own game, you've probably seen it and heard about it in the past, but he wears a bit of tape on his, I think it's his right wrist, his non-bowling hand.
'And he's just got a couple of words, which is just a reminder for him of what he has to do and how he has to think about it mentally. So those little things, I think, are things you learn along the way with more experience.
'He's physically going along as well as ever. He's always had those little niggles like all fast bowlers do, but he finds a way to push through them. He plays games out with niggles, and that's why he's standing there now with 400 Test wickets next to his name," he said.
With IANS Inputs
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First Published:
July 18, 2025, 14:29 IST
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