Australian quick Mitchell Starc is never likely to become a consistent Test bowler no matter how many times his many critics harp on the point. But he doesn’t need to be consistent, as we’ve witnessed in this Ashes.
While Starc has been busy taking 14 wickets at 19 this series, I’ve continually seen cricket fans deriding him for his inaccuracy, a criticism akin to complaining that David Warner can’t bat for time like Matt Renshaw.
Warner’s value is his unique ability to flay quality Test attacks, setting the opposition back on their heels, while Starc’s is his capacity for producing wickets in bursts, changing the course of a Test.
Many cricket followers do not seem to understand Starc’s role within the brilliant Australian attack. Here’s a hint: it isn’t to bowl maidens. England have three quicks who can bowl very tightly in James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes. What they would kill to have is a guy like Starc because of the invaluable variety he adds to a Test attack.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but in Test history there has never been another bowler identical to Starc – a 197 centimetre-tall left-armer who swings the new and old ball at 150 kilometres an hour. He is a truly unique cricketer, and one who makes Australia a vastly better team.
Starc has the rare gift of taking wickets against the run of play. He does so by producing deliveries that are unplayable or close to unplayable, even in conditions which offer zero assistance to fast bowlers. That is why Starc remains effective in conditions the world over while the likes of Anderson are often neutered when swing or seam isn’t on offer.
(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
In an era when so many cricketers dominate at home and labour away, Starc is one of only two Test bowlers ranked in the ICC’s top 20 who has a better average on the road (26) than at home (28). The second bowler is New Zealand’s Neil Wagner. Outside of that pair, the only other bowler in the top 20 who comes close to achieving this feat is Starc’s new ball partner Josh Hazlewood, who averages 25.8 at home and 26.2 away.
To get a true indication of how good a Test bowler Starc has become, consider his stats since he was made a fixture in the Australian team two and a half years ago – 112 wickets at 24 from 23 Tests with a blazing strike rate of 42.
In that period the only Test quick in the world to have taken more wickets than Starc is Hazlewood. Now compare Starc’s current Test record to those of Anderson and Broad after each cricketer had played 38 Tests:
- Starc: 162 wickets at 27.5
- Anderson: 130 wickets at 34.2
- Broad: 114 wickets at 34.8
Australia are fortunate to have a quality back-up quick in Jackson Bird, a reliable operator who has averaged 27 with the ball across his eight Tests and is dominating the Sheffield Shield with 25 wickets at 16 this season. But consider for a moment how much more one-dimensional Australia’s pace attack would look, particularly on a flat deck, if it consisted of Bird, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
Right now Australia’s Test attack is as well balanced as any I have seen in the past decade. Every base is covered. Obviously it is not on the same level as the glory era Australian bowling unit of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Yet there are significant similarities between the two attacks. Hazlewood has long been compared with McGrath thanks to his amazing precision. Starc plays a very similar role to Brett Lee, unsettling opponents with his pace, unpredictability and ability to produce something from nothing. Cummins, meanwhile, reminds me of Gillespie at his peak – an out-and-out strike bowler with intimidating pace yet also possessing fine control and a great cricketing brain.
Then there’s Lyon, who, while he’ll never be anywhere near the bowler Warne was, right now offers Australia that rare spin package of being simultaneously attacking and defensive. The off-spinner is bowling with great economy while posing a constant threat to the opposition. His haul of 57 wickets at 22 from nine Tests this year is extraordinary.
Again I’ll emphasise that I’m not attempting to put the current Australian attack on par with the golden era Australian bowling unit. Rather I’m pointing out that both attacks had a wonderful balance to them. Quite remarkably all of Starc (26), Hazlewood (26), Cummins (25) and Lyon (29) average in the 20s with the ball away from home.
Now compare that to the away averages of England’s main four bowlers – Broad (32), Anderson (33), Chris Woakes (53) and Moeen Ali (47) – and it’s easy to spot the key difference between the Ashes opponents. England’s attack does not have the variety nor the dynamism to be consistently effective away from home.
That has been exposed across the first two Tests of this series, and with the possibility of flat pitches over the next three matches, things could get downright ugly for the England attack. They need a Starc. But only Australia has one.
ColinP
Guest
His twin brother has them.......George garton will be our starc
Don Freo
Guest
That was a weak English side. I have argued this many times. In Bradman's case, there were no bowlers. Watch footage of Bradman's batting. The bowling is comical. That makes sense. All of England's youth was snuffed out on the western front. Anyway, that's been argued before. Those 2 quenched Aussie cricket for decades, promoting only NSW. I'll put them down every chance I get. Two horrible people.
Jeffrey Dun
Roar Rookie
O'Reilly played through the thirties against a very powerful England batting line-up. He played 10 tests in Australia and 9 tests in England. I bet he would love to be bowling to the current England batting line up - he'd slaughter them. He also played 7 tests against SA; 2 in Australia and 5 in SA. None of this sounds like easy opposition to me. He didn't play home tests against the likes of Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, SL or India (who was not strong in the 30s). Given that Bradman, who played with and against O'Rielly rated him the greatest he had seen (and we know there was no love lost between them) I'm inclined to take Bradman's assessment.
Don Freo
Guest
Peas in a pod, those two. Walked rough shod over almost everybody. No time for the modern cricketer. Never liked that about them. They never had good opposition.
Don Freo
Guest
More of a McGrath in his style. Could bring one back but mostly across the batsman. Immaculate line and length but bounce was his weapon. Only mid-130s but always bowled well within himself. Beautiful action.
Jeffrey Dun
Roar Rookie
"Thommo was not that good either…" I did say Thommo in 1974-75 and 1975-76. Against England in 74-75 he took 33 wickets at 17.94 (5 tests). Against a powerful WI batting line-up in 75-76 he took 29 wickets at 28.66.(6 tests). This is all a matter of opinion and in my opinion Thommo was that good !
Jeffrey Dun
Roar Rookie
"Quite possibly better than them. We know Grimmett was great but O’Reilly was his own great promoter." Not based on the stats (which is all we have since there is probably no-one alive that saw them play). O'Reilly took 144 test wickets at 22.6 which, for a leg spinner, is unbelievable. Bradman rated him the best bowler he ever saw.
Internal Fixation
Guest
What metric are you working on then? Cummins hasn’t been available long enough to make a comparison.
JW
Guest
How quick was Bruce Reid? He was a left armer over 2m tall and had an impressive record when he could get on the park. Could be likened to Starc, apart from the sticky tape. I also didn't realise Starc copped a lot of criticism. That's crazy talk.
DavSA
Guest
Yup DR .. 2 of the 3 games are at altitude . Wanderers (Johannesburg) and Centurion ( Pretoria) . Only the first game in Port Elizabeth will give India any respite . Steyn may also play but I suspect Morkel may get first nod although he is slightly injured he has started some work in the nets. We are soon enough going to see just how good the much vaunted Indian batsmen really are. Strange though how Durban did not get a match with over 2 million Indian South Africans in the region.
Doctor Rotcod
Guest
The venues where Philander and Rabada starred against SL are where they'll bowl against India. The crushing defeats of Bangladesh have done wonders for the SA fast bowlers' stats, but how much can you read into them? Indian fans might think that India won't lose a test,so I read, but I'm more inclined to believe that they won't win one. Beating up on SL at home doesn't count for much,nor does scoring another ego-driven double hundred when an earlier declaration would have still led to victory
DavSA
Guest
Yes HB ,Philander is a Glenn McGrath clone . Can hit a penny on the pitch but with subtle variations . An underated bowler by many . Years ago SA had a guy called Craig Matthews who the Aussies dubbed "The bowling machine" . Problem is unlike McGrath or Philander no variation.
DavSA
Guest
Newlands ( Capetown ) and St Georges Park ( Port Elizabeth) . Spin plays a big role in giving the quicks a break.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
DavSA we are in for a treat in Feb/March - the best "Bowling Attack v Bowling Attack" battle since Australia toured SA nearly four years ago. And that was one of the great Test series of the modern era, an absolute epic. Let's hope both teams are at full strength because that will be ballistic - Steyn, Starc, Rabada, Hazlewood, Cummins and Philander/Morkel all playing in the same Test? Oh Lordy, Lord! Not to ignore Lyon/Maharaj but that pace battle is the stuff of daydreams.
DavSA
Guest
Umm no he did not savage . He hinted at the fact that it was the most favourable ground conditions wise for England. From my side if England had batted first it would have served them better.
DavSA
Guest
If the cricketing Gods shine on us Ronan we will see the likes of Starc , Hazelwood , Cummins and Lyon with Bird in reserve matching up to Steyn , Rabada , Philander and Maharaj with Morkel in reserve. Given the nature of our pitches I do not see any test going the distance. Batting wise it looks even . De Villiers will balance out Smith but Aussies bat deeper ....however...and here is our selectors dilemma . Where does AB come in ? ....There are only 3 spots available ....Either he takes the gloves and replaces De Kock , alternatively takes the captaincy and removes Faf Du Plessis or takes Bavuma's spot. This would be hugely unfair to these guys as they are seriously good cricketers who have never let their team down and would totally send out the wrong message . But first there is the small matter of dealing with India . They are right on top of their game but having played soooo much of their cricket in sub-continent conditions in the recent past and having Sri Lanka as opponents in India as prep I just wonder how they are going to cope with SA's pace in Africa.
Savage
Roar Rookie
I knew Aussies gonna win since Ronan predicted England win in adelaide before the series.
Brendon the 1st
Guest
Just pips McGrath? McGrath was the most effective fast bowler the world has ever seen, Hazy is good but if the pigeon was playing he'd never get a game.
Don Freo
Guest
How likely is that? Silly comment.
Jameswm
Guest
Yes you can. Total wickets isn't the barometer for who is better. You don't suddenly become a better bowler than someone by taking the extra wicket to push ahead.