Courtesy: Cricket Australia
Mitchell Starc, the Australian fast bowler, delivered a splendid spell of fast bowling with the new ball, to help set-up a two-wicket win against Pakistan in the first ODI of the three-match series. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the left-arm pacer registered figures of 3/33 in his 10-over spell with three maidens, to play a key role in bundling Pakistan out for 203 runs before the Australian batters scraped past the finishing lineup with him at the crease.
After the Australian captain, Pat Cummins, put Pakistan into bat first, it was the Mitchell Starc show with the new white Kookaburra ball in the afternoon sun in Melbourne. In the third over of the Pakistan innings, Saim Ayub chopped a length delivery from Starc onto his stumps, to walk back to the pavilion with just one run in five balls to his name, giving the first wicket of the day to the left-arm pacer.
Mitchell Starc also stitched together a vital 19-run stand with Pat Cummins to take Australia over the finishing line
In the seventh over, Mitchell Starc delivered a vicious short ball which Abdullah Shafique tried to let go harmlessly through to the keeper, but he couldn’t drop his bat in time as it hit the cue end before Josh Inglis took a simple catch behind the stumps. The right-handed batter was dismissed for 12 runs off 26 balls with just one four in his short innings.
Following an exceptional first spell from Mitchell Starc, the other spells weren’t as penetrative in terms of taking the wickets, but he kept the economy rate down regardless. He castled a dangerous Shaheen Afridi for 24 off 19 with three fours and one maximum, to ensure that Pakistan stayed on the backfoot throughout their batting innings.
Moreover, when Australia were in trouble at 185/8, still needing 19 more runs to win, Mitchell Starc stayed unbeaten at the crease alongside captain Pat Cummins, to ensure that his team went past the finishing line without any further trouble.
