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As Team India takes on Australia during the fourth Test of the series at the Boxing Day Test, they would have to be cautious against lethal left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, who is not only in a fantastic form in the series but is also approaching a big milestone, ESPNCricinfo reported.
With the series level at 1-1 with two matches left, there is a huge responsibility on the bowlers to take 20 wickets and prevent the batting side from getting to a big total. In three Tests so far, Starc has taken 14 scalps at an average of 22.85, including a spell of 6/48 that rocked India during the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval. He is the second-highest run-getter in the series so far. The 34-year-old left-armer is just five scalps away from completing 700 international wickets and he will become only fourth Australian bowler after spinner Shane Warne (1,001 scalps), Glenn McGrath (949 scalps) and Brett Lee (718 scalps) to achieve this milestone. In 284 international matches, Starc has taken 695 scalps at an average of 25.67, with best figures of 6/28 and 24 five-wicket hauls to his name. Test cricket is his best format, having taken 372 scalps in 92 matches at an average of 27.55, with best figures of 6/48 and 15 five-wicket hauls. He is Australia's fourth-highest wicket-taker in this format. In 127 ODIs, he has taken 244 scalps at an average of 23.40, with best figures of 6/28. He has taken nine five-wicket hauls in the format. In this format as well, Starc is Australia's fourth-highest wicket-taker. In 65 T20Is, he has taken 79 scalps at an average of 23.81, with best figures of 4/20. Next to spinner Adam Zampa (117), he is the second-highest wicket-taker for Australia in this format. Starc's wickets have earned Australia some big Test wins, two ICC Cricket World Cups in 2015 and 2023, the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 and the ICC World Test Championship match last year. Starc is also one wicket away from completing 100 international wickets against India, becoming only third Australian player besides Lyon and Lee and overall 14th player to do so. In 45 matches, he has 99 wickets against India at an average of 33.51 with best figures of 6/51. He has three five-wicket hauls against India. James Anderson of England has the highest international wickets against India, with 189 scalps in 72 matches. For Australia, it is Lyon with 128 scalps in 38 matches. Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland India's squad for fourth and fifth Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal, Tanush Kotian. (ANI)
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