'Bowl full, hit the stumps': Starc's Powerplay plan

Mitchell Starc has reinforced just how crucial he will be to Australia's ODI World Cup plans in October after a devastating display with the new ball against India in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. 

The left-arm quick ran through the home side's top order with the first four wickets of the match before finishing with 5-53, his ninth five-wicket haul in ODIs.  

Only all-time greats Waqar Younis (13) and Muthiah Muralitharan (10) have claimed more five-wicket hauls in the format. Image Id: 8E68ED7B695B4F26928A152D05005F7D

Starc's impeccable record in the opening overs of the innings will be of most value to Australia when the World Cup begins in India in a little over six months' time, with few bowlers around the globe able to strike with such consistency.

Since the 2019 ODI World Cup in England, only three bowlers have taken more than 13 wickets in the Powerplay overs (the first 10 of the innings). 

India's Mohammed Siraj sits top with 26 wickets, Starc is second with 25 and his teammate Josh Hazlewood is third with 18.  

However, Starc's wickets have come at the superior strike rate of a wicket every 20.16 balls, compared to Siraj's 22.8.  

And striking in the Powerplay is imperative for World Cup success.  

Looking at the most recent editions of the men's tournaments in 2015 and 2019, in both instances the two finalists dominated in terms of Powerplay wickets. 

In 2019 New Zealand topped that category with 15 wickets, with England one behind on 14.  

And four years earlier the Kiwis led the way once again with 19 wickets with Australia sitting in third with 15.  

Starc, who boasts a phenomenal World Cup record of 49 wickets at an average of 14.81, admitted that tactically his approach has changed very little.  

"My plan hasn't changed for 13 years: bowl full, hit the stumps, try and swing it," Starc said after Australia's 10-wicket win in Vizag. 

"That's been my role for a long time, to try and get wickets up front in the Powerplay.  

"At times that means I'm probably more expensive, but I'm trying to bring in all modes of dismissal.  

"So it's certainly not a new game plan these last two games.

"When you've got a powerhouse batting unit that India do have, if you can take wickets in the Powerplay it means we sort of control the game in some respects, which is what we did today."

Although the upcoming World Cup won't commence until October, Australia have only nine more ODIs before the showpiece event: the final match of this series in Chennai, a five-match series in South Africa in late-August and September, and a three-match series in India again as a lead-in to the tournament. 

And with the World Cup set to be held in India, Starc said the experience and knowledge the Australians have gathered from this tour has been invaluable, though the focus is still very much on Wednesday's finale. 

"We now move on to Chennai, where we've got a chance (in) the decider … once we get past that game and then it's probably more of a focus on the World Cup," Starc said.

"There's parts of this series where the World Cup will be in the back of your mind, but I think predominantly for this group, we've still got a chance to win a one-day series in India, which is pretty special."

Qantas ODI Tour of India 2023

First ODI: India won by five wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 10 wickets

Third ODI: Wednesday March 22, Chennai (7pm AEDT)

All matches broadcast live and exclusive on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, K L Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Jaydev Unadkatt