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Mitchell Starc played a key role in orchestrating India's worst defeat in the second ODI match at YS Raja Reddy Cricket Stadium.
Starc showed signs of his best when picking up the superb figures of 5/53 in a Player of the Match performance in Australia's 10-wicket romp over India in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. He now has eight scalps in total from the opening two matches of the three-game series. The pacer's ability to strike during the Powerplay has been on show in India, with four of Starc's wickets in the pivotal second match of the series coming during a blistering opening spell that put the hosts immediately on the back foot after they were sent into bat first by stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith. Starc's prowess to swing the new ball and make inroads early in an innings is a trait that has helped the left-armer prosper throughout his international career and the 33-year-old said he won't be changing the tactics that have helped him claim 219 ODI wickets for his country from just over 100 matches. "My plan hasn't changed for 13 years: bowl full, hit the stumps, try and swing it," as quoted by ICC. "That's been my role for a long time, to try and get wickets up front in the Powerplay. At times that means I'm probably more expensive, but I'm trying to bring in all modes of dismissal, so it's certainly not a new game plan these last two games. When you've got a powerhouse batting unit that India do have, if you can take wickets in the Powerplay it means we sort of control the game in some respects, which is what we did today," as quoted by ICC. Starc is already a veteran of two 50-over World Cup campaigns and the star quick is determined to add to his already imposing record and add a second title to the one he won at home in 2015 in the event that is scheduled to take place at the end of this year. As Starc continues to rely on his approach, this is a clear warning for the batters who will face him in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. And with Australia scheduled to play just nine more ODI matches prior to the start of the World Cup, Starc is determined to claim an early mental edge by helping his side to a series triumph in India. "We now move on to Chennai, where we've got a chance (in) the decider ... once we get past that game and then it's probably more of a focus on the World Cup," Starc said. "There's parts of this series where the World Cup will be in the back of your mind, but I think predominantly for this group, we've still got a chance to win a one-day series in India, which is pretty special," as quoted by ICC. (ANI)
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