Mitchell Starc: It’s a big occasion, a World Cup final; both teams played each other in the Test final earlier this year
Mitchell Starc, who has taken the most wickets in the last two One-day Men’s World Cups, walked confidently into the post-match press conference after helping Australia beat South Africa in a run chase with the bat; he did, however, accept that bowler Mitchell Starc hasn’t performed up to mark in this World Cup.
Mitchell Starc, who has taken the most wickets in the last two One-day Men’s World Cups, walked confidently into the post-match press conference after helping Australia beat South Africa in a run chase with the bat.
He did, however, accept that bowler Mitchell Starc hasn’t performed up to mark in this World Cup and praised Josh Hazlewood, his opening partner, and his other colleagues for a complete performance.
“It was probably not the tournament that we would like from the get-go, but it was nice to step up in a big game,”
said Starc.
“Our power play got us on our way. Power play wickets haven’t been our strong suit in our tournament so it was nice to have a power play of 2-18. The way Josh bowled throughout to finish 2-12 was incredible. Trav (Travis Head) with bat and ball, the way Davey stepped up in the field and led by example.”
After expressing his uncertainty about whether the pitch was initially more difficult to bat on, Starc continued to share his observations about it. He did, however, note that the bounce remained steady despite some lateral movement off the pitch and in the air.
“It was a bare wicket. I’m not sure if it was slightly tougher to start with the bat due to being under covers for some amount of time. There was consistent pace, nipped a little, and a little bit of swing, and the inconsistencies made it tough to bat on in the first ten overs. “
The left-arm express pacer appreciated his right-arm counterpart’s effort with the ball, as he played his role to perfection, accurately bouncing the ball on the same spot and reaping the rewards on the biggest stage.
“Looking at Joshy’s pitch map, that’s what he does well in Test match bowling. The way we run off each other, to have that power play that we did and carry the momentum through the middle, is how we want to start matches so that’s what we want to do in a big game,”
said Starc.
“The South Africa openers did try to put pressure on us in phases, but Josh was incredible with his line and length, and we were able to build dot balls, which brings about a shot that Quinton played. The discipline we showed today and the fielding prevented them from going harder.”
Starc said that the first ten overs of the World Cup have been tough for batting, but a little luck and boldness might get you a start, like Travis Head and Warner did, relieving pressure on the middle and lower orders.
“Davey and Heady put the pressure straight back on South Africa. When you’re willing to take the game on like that and take some luck with you. If Trav carried on a bit longer, he probably looked a bit ominous there not to get closer to a hundred. It was much needed given what happened at the back end, giving us some extra time to not have to go so hard at the end.”
While acknowledging that South Africa bowled effectively in patches, particularly with their spinners towards the end of the match, Starc also discussed the domino effect, which is the strategy of putting players like Klaasen and Miller in early to reduce their likelihood of causing big damage later on.
“We knew South Africa is dangerous at the back end, and if we can get Miller and Klaasen in early, in the first 20 overs, then we’re well on our way. It makes it a bit harder for them to back it. That’s pretty much the way we set up with the bat, to take the game on and back them to put pressure. It got tougher with the spin, and South Africa bowled well in patches to put pressure back on us, but the way we started with the bat helped.”
When asked about facing the only undefeated team in the tournament and facing India in the final, Starc responded matter-of-factly. He acknowledged that the two teams were no strangers to big occasions and that it was unlikely for a team to win a World Cup without defeating the best team in the competition.
“That’s why we play the game, we take on the best, they’ve been the best in the tournament so far, and that’s why we find ourselves in the final. That’s what World Cups are about. It’s a big occasion, a World Cup final. Both teams played each other in the Test final earlier this year, so I don’t think either change room is new to big occasions. It’s going to be loud and passionate, and it’s just going to be a great spectacle and everyone in our changing room looks forward to the occasion.”
The final game of the World Cup 2023 between India and Australia will be played on 19th November in Ahmedabad.
India squad for CWC 2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Surya Kumar Yadav. Australia squad for CWC 2023: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.