Australia head coach Andrew McDonald dropped a subtle hint on Mitchell Starc’s availability for IND vs AUS 5th Test in Sydney. The pacer appeared to be in discomfort on Day 5 of the 4th Test in Melbourne and was struggling to bowl. While he brushed it off saying that he just had a stiff back, it is likely that Australia will enter the Sydney Test with another pacer down.
Will Mitchell Starc play IND vs AUS 5th Test?
As per Sydney Morning Herald, a call on Starc’s inclusion in the XI for IND vs AUS 5th Test is unlikely to be made before Thursday or on the morning of Day 1. The Test match, which will decide if Australia will finally win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy or if India can manage to retain it, will get underway from January 3.
“Clearly Starc is carrying something of some description. Other than that it looks as though we got through pretty unscathed,” McDonald said.
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| Matches | Wickets |
| IND vs AUS 4th Test | 1 |
| IND vs AUS 3rd Test | 3 |
| IND vs AUS 2nd Test | 8 |
| IND vs AUS 1st Test | 3 |
Australia has replacements for Starc if he’s injured for the last Test of the series in Beau Webster, Sean Abbott, and Jhye Richardson, but if Hazlewood is fit, he might come in for him as well.
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