Australian pacer Mitchell Starc on Friday acknowledged that things could not have gone better for the hosts on the opening day of the pink-ball Test. He said it was a great way to start the day and an even better way to end it. Starc was the standout performer on a lively Adelaide field, producing excellent figures of 6/48 to dismiss India for just 180 runs. The Australian top-flight then scored 86/1 in the final session, leaving the visitors in trouble.
“Yes, a very good first day for us with the ball, I think. After that first hour I think we were doing quite well. So yes, a nice way to start the Test, but a nice first day for us. It's a good way to end the day, or a good day at all,” Starc said during the press conference.
The 34-year-old Starc struck the first blow by dismissing young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal on the first ball of the match, giving him a psychological edge over the visitors from the outset.
He said it was satisfying to dismiss Jaiswal for a first-ball duck after the Indian scored a century in the opening Test in Perth.
However, Starc warned that Australia would have to remain on their guard in the second innings.
In Perth, Jaiswal had gone for a duck in the first innings but then hit a brilliant 161 in the second to lead India to a 295-run win.
“He (Jaiswal) had a good Test match last week. So yeah, nice to get him early. And then we'll have to work on him in the second innings, I think so,” Starc said.
He was also asked whether Jasprit Bumrah and Co. questioned their line and he gave an interesting answer: “I'm not their bowling coach.”
Starc also noted that the third session under floodlights was perhaps the most challenging for his batters, but praised the efforts of Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne, who had done well to cope with the tough conditions.
Despite worrying spells from Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana, Australian opener McSweeney (38 not out) and Labuschagne (20 not out) were at the crease when stumps were called.
“Arguably the hardest time to bat is that third session with the brand new pink ball. To end the day one behind, especially from Marnus and McSweeney there to fight through that and obviously withstand the pressure of a quality bowling attack… and to come out the other side with a chance to continue tomorrow.
“It was fantastic of them. So yeah, very happy from then on,” Starc added.
'Test cricket has changed a bit'
Starc felt that Test cricket had changed somewhat since the time he came to the Australian side, with many young, talented and fearless cricketers coming out of the Indian Premier League and making an impact in Test cricket.
“Yes, the game has changed. The game may change. I think part of that is the T20 era, right? “Some of these guys are coming up, growing up through IPL cricket and there's no fear or expectation that they will be very bad.” They have been good from the start and they are quality players from the moment they come into international cricket, regardless of their age,” he said.
Citing the example of Jaiswal, who has four Test centuries at the age of 22, Starc said: “We obviously saw a little bit of Jaiswal before last week and then obviously had a fantastic one in the second innings (in Perth), and in some of the shots that Kumar (Nitish Reddy) played today and they were some special shots.
“Whether it's T20 cricket, moving to Test cricket or next generation fearless cricket, I've been around long enough to see it change a little bit. And yes, whether it's less fear or just a bit more confidence when you start playing international cricket. You'll have to ask those batters, but I'm sure it'll be exciting to watch.”
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