Starc sent home due to foot fracture

Australia have been dealt a seismic injury blow with pace spearhead Mitchell Starc ruled out of the remainder of the Qantas Tour of India with a fractured foot.

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“Mitchell experienced some pain in his right foot during the second Test in Bangalore which unfortunately had not subsided a few days after the Test as we had hoped,” said team physiotherapist David Beakley.

“We made the decision to scan his foot in Bangalore this morning and unfortunately it has revealed a stress fracture.

“Subsequently, this means Mitchell will be unavailable for the remainder of the Qantas Tour of India and will return home to Australia to start his rehabilitation.”

At this stage no replacement has been named for Starc, with Tasmania’s Jackson Bird the reserve fast bowler in the touring party.

Former Test quicks James Pattinson and Pat Cummins both impressed in Sheffield Shield cricket this week, with Cummins taking eight wickets in his first Shield match for almost six years.

The loss of Starc is disastrous for Australia who sit level with India at 1-1 after two Tests in a series that has exploded with emotion following the hosts’ dramatic win this week.

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The 27-year-old played a pivotal role in Australia’s first Test win in the subcontinent since 2004 when the tourists shocked India to claim the first Test by a whopping 333 runs.

Starc’s quick-fire 61 lifted Australia to a dominant first-innings total of 260 before he silenced a billion people by dismissing India captain Virat Kohli for a second-ball duck on day two.

India bounced back to win the enthralling second Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium where Starc claimed three wickets, including two in consecutive deliveries with the second new ball on day four. 

But now Australia’s mission to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has become that much harder, with Starc joining allrounder Mitchell Marsh in the injury ward. 

Starc suffered a stress fracture in his right foot during the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide in November, 2015 and underwent surgery the following month which ruled him out for the remainder of that summer and the World T20 tournament in March, 2016.

The left-armer made a comeback to international cricket in the ODI tri-series against the West Indies and South Africa in the Caribbean last June before returning to Test cricket in spectacular fashion in Sri Lanka in July-August.

In three Tests Starc captured 24 wickets at 15.16, the most wickets by an Australian fast bowler in a three-Test series in Asia, as the visitors were humbled 3-0.

Following the gruelling tour, Starc was set to be rested for the five-match ODI tour of South Africa before a freak fielding mishap led to 35 stitches in his left leg and a month on the sidelines.

Starc recovered in time to play the entire Test summer and although he produced a match-winning spell in Brisbane to defeat Pakistan, he failed to recapture the scintillating form of Sri Lanka. 

It is unknown how long Starc will be out for but team medical staff are optimistic the pace ace will be fit for the Champions Trophy in June in the UK.