Starc far from ‘slow’ as career best gives Australia the edge over India

As Australia fought back from India for 180 in two sessions of the day-night second test on Friday in Adelaide, Mitchell Starc was a threat with the pink ball and claimed a career-best six for 48.

The hosts’ 86-1 victory on Day One helped them regain their series lead after five innings and are now on the verge of a first-innings lead. At the other end, Marnus Labuschagne and opener Nathan McSweeney were both hitting at 38.

With the first ball of the match, Starc seared inswinging yorker to dismiss Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw with the brand-new pink ball.

The dangerous Jaiswal, who hit a quick 161 in the series opener in Perth and was caught on the stump mic telling Starc he was bowling “too slow,” unleashed a roar that demonstrated how much Australia valued the wicket.

Talking to broadcasters after the India innings, Starc said he did not really visualise Jaiswal’s dismissal. “Not so much … but nice to sneak one past”, the 34-year-old said with a smile.

Starc leads pink-ball wicket column

Starc has now taken 72 wickets in day-night tests, which is the most by any bowler. The humidity in Adelaide, however, made it difficult for him to operate at his best. “Certainly, didn’t help the engine, I got a bit crampy at the end there”, he said.

Following Jaiswal’s departure, Shubman Gill (31) – who missed the Perth Test with a thumb injury – played a couple of gorgeous drives but KL Rahul, at the other end, retreated into a defensive shell.

After a patient half-century in Perth, Rahul needed 21 balls to miss the mark and received two reprieves in Scott Boland’s first over. He was reinstated as the opener.

Rahul was first caught behind off a no-ball by Boland, who had Josh Hazlewood injured, before suffering even more agony four balls later when Usman Khawaja drained an edge from the batter at first slip.

At Adelaide Oval, the lights went out twice in succession, but play has resumed. #AUSvIND pic. twitter.com/u6Jtd39Utc

Kohli snared again as India stutter

When Rahul (37) led the ball to McSweeney at gully, Starc was unsure of whether to play or leave.

Virat Kohli struck a hundred in Perth, and Starc attempted to withdraw his bat when it was too late in his subsequent over, dropping him for seven in a similar manner. Before the dinner break, Boland lbw in the penultimate over to stop Gill from knocking on his head.

When the game resumed, India kept losing wickets. Rohit, who batted in the middle order and did not bat for India in Perth, was hit in the back by Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, who gave him three runs.

Ravichandran Ashwin was dismissed by Starc for 22 while Harshit Rana was bowled by him in the same over to finish his five-wicket haul. India fell short of the 200 mark when Nitish Kumar Reddy (42) made the decision to put a fire in his fight, clobbering three sixes, including an audacious reverse scoop against Boland.

When Australia batted in, McSweeney had some good fortune. When the opener edged Jasprit Bumrah, wicketkeeper Pant dived but was unable to grab the ball, which Rohit would have had to make at first slip with ease.

However, Rohit won the bowler’s bowling berth after falling for 13 against the bowler. When confronted by the other seamers, Labuschagne and McSweeney looked foolish and unimpressed.

More than 50 000 spectators showed up for the opening day of the Adelaide Oval’s test match, making it the fourth-highest total.