Starc's whole new ball game in India

While much of the talk over Australia’s chances of victory in India has centred on how their spin bowlers will fare, skipper Steve Smith will take comfort in the fact that in Mitchell Starc, the side possesses a proven subcontinental wicket-taking threat.

With 24 victims at 15.16 on Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka last year, Starc eclipsed Dennis Lillee’s record (23 scalps against England in the 1979-90 home Ashes) for the most wickets taken by an Australian quick in a three-Test series.

The left-armer also eclipsed Sir Richard Hadlee’s mark of 23 wickets against Sri Lanka in 1984 for the most prolific three-Test series by a visiting paceman in Asia. 

It was a remarkable effort considering the combined wicket tally of seamers not named Starc from both sides totalled just 13 in that Sri Lanka series, as the hosts’ spinners, led by veteran Rangana Herath, ran rampant on turning tracks to seal a 3-0 whitewash over the then No.1 ranked Test side.  

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And while Starc is well aware of the range of challenges that arise from playing in India - the threat of the home side's spinners again chief among them - one of his major focuses during Australia’s pre-tour camp in Dubai has been getting the feel for a different ball in his hands. 

India use the SG (Sanspareils Greenlands) manufactured ball in Tests on their home soil, preferring them over the Kookaburra ball, which feature in most other Test nations including Sri Lanka and Australia.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been over there to play red-ball cricket, it’s been four years,” Starc said after day two of Australia’s intra-squad practice match at the ICC Global Cricket Academy.

“It’s a different ball so there are different challenges there to try and get it reversing and to see if it swings when it’s brand new. 

“Some little changes in terms of batting plans but a lot of similarities in the fact it’s going to turn a lot against us. 

“Yeah, a lot of similarities (from Sri Lanka) to India.”

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Starc’s first experience of Test cricket on the subcontinent, Australia’s 2013 tour of India, could hardly have been more challenging.

After going wicketless in the first Test in Chennai, he was dropped for the second match before earning a recall in the wake of the ‘Homework-gate’ incident, which saw four players ruled out for disciplinary reasons by then-coach Mickey Arthur for the third Test in Mohali.

He missed the final game through injury as Australia slumped to a 4-0 series defeat, finishing with a return of two wickets at 100 for the series.

But in the intervening years, Starc has emerged as one of world cricket’s most feared bowlers and returns to face Test cricket’s toughest challenge as a more threatening and more experienced prospect. 

The 27-year-old expects to be used in short, sharp spells by Smith in a bid to maximise his potency against India’s batsmen, though the duration of his bowling stints may be affected by the effectiveness of Australia’s slow bowlers. 

“I guess it depends on the spinners, if they’re taking wickets or not,” Starc said with a laugh when asked if he expects to be used in quick bursts. 

“It’s obviously up to Smithy.

“It’s probably a bit different to how we’re used back home. 

“It will depend on how the ball is reacting, whether it’s swinging conventionally or reverse. 

“I’m sure there’ll be times when we’ll be called upon to bowl a few extra overs in a spell but probably a lot of short spells as well.”