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Australia badly miss Starc as Cook runs amok

28th December, 2017
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Mitchell Starc should be saved for Test cricket. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
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28th December, 2017
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Australian quick Mitchell Starc, according to many cricket fans, relies too heavily on taking tail end wickets. While that’s false, there’s no doubt Australia yesterday badly missed Starc’s ability to demolish lower orders.

As Starc ran rampant across the first three Tests, grabbing 19 wickets, many observers devalued his performance by claiming it was largely the result of bossing England’s tail. In reality, only seven of Starc’s 19 wickets were tail enders, although the left armer does have a unique ability to scythe through lower orders.

That’s because he possesses the two weapons most effective against tail enders – an intimidating bouncer and a searing yorker.

That’s not to suggest line and length bowling doesn’t work against lower order batsmen. But if you did a poll I think you’d find most international tail enders would say they would far rather face a delivery aimed at the top of off stump rather than one scorching towards their toes or heads.

Steve Smith talks to Mitch Starc

England’s tail has troubled many teams in recent years but has continually been bulldozed by Australia this series, thanks to a barrage of short balls, and Starc’s prowess. Until yesterday, that is.

With former England skipper Alastair Cook constructing a batting masterpiece, Australia needed to concentrate on dislodging his partners.

This went swimmingly as they dismissed Joe Root (61), Dawid Malan (14), Jonny Bairstow (22) and Moeen Ali (26) in the space of 90 minutes. With England 6-307, still trailing by 20 runs, Australia were perfectly placed to crush their tail once more and limit them to either no lead or at worst a small one.

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After harassing Chris Woakes with well-directed bouncers early in his innings, Australia abandoned this tactic. Woakes immediately looked more comfortable and frustrated the hosts for 21 overs as he contributed 26 runs to an invaluable stand of 59 with Cook.

After Woakes, Tom Curran came and went swiftly, and then Australia once more set about bullying Stuart Broad.

The tail ender had made just 45 runs from six innings in this series, routinely falling victim to the short ball. History looked set to repeat itself yesterday as Australia buffeted Broad with bouncers, leaving him ducking, weaving and fending the ball in the air just shy of fieldsmen.

He moved to 13 from 25 balls, with eight of those runs coming from edges which ballooned over the wicketkeeper and slips cordon. Broad was a dead man walking and had the meek body language to match. Then, all of a sudden, Australia ditched the short stuff and started bowling length deliveries at Broad.

While the Englishman is no longer a fine lower order batsman, he’s still a big man capable of swinging hard. Anyone who’s watched Broad bat in the past two years, during his major decline as a strokemaker, knows he’s only dangerous when the ball is pitched up.

And so it was as Broad began heaving these friendlier offerings to scattered parts of the MCG. He scored his final 43 runs from just 38 balls. In the process, he and Cook brought up a 100-run stand which almost batted Australia out of this Test.

From 6-307, when Moeen was dismissed, Australia had allowed England’s lower order to partner with Cook in dragging the tourists to 9-491 at stumps.

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It will take something truly extraordinary from here for Australia to win this Test. An individual performance, with bat or ball, almost as commanding as Cook’s epic 244no will be required. Realistically, though, Australia’s best hope is to force a draw.

In playing one of the best – not most important, but best – Test knocks by a visiting batsman of the past decade, Cook has all but ensured England won’t lose this series 5-0.

Now it’s up to his bowling comrades to tear into Australia tomorrow and convert his dominance into a rousing victory.

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