Mitchell Starc steamed in and threw a fiery bouncer at Marnus Labuschagne during a training session.© AFP
India and Australia are preparing for the four-game series opening test that kicks off in Adelaide on Thursday. While India has some headache choosing, hosts Australia have been hit with injuries. However, the Aussies received a massive boost a few days ago when it was revealed that spearhead Mitchell Starc would join the Australian camp and fight for the first Test. On Tuesday, Cricket Australia tweeted a video showing Starc steaming into a bowl in a training session, and at the very first ball on Marnus Labuschagne, the left-handed fast bowler sent a fiery bouncer for the batsman to dodge.
This time in super slow motion #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/IRj5qPB8pM
– Cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 15, 2020
Starc didn’t look good against India in the One-Day International (ODI) series and missed the final two Twenty20 International (T20I) games after an unspecified family illness.
It was announced on Sunday that Starc would be returning to the Australian team on Monday after his compassionate vacation.
While Starc’s return is a huge boost for the Australians, the hosts have some key decisions to make for the opening test.
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Australia has to do without star opener David Warner, who suffered a groin tear. His likely replacement, young Will Pucovski, was left out with a concussion after he was hit on the helmet by a bouncer in a tour game last week.
Sean Abbott was also excluded due to a calf strain, in which Moises Henriques was called in as a replacement. There is also uncertainty about the availability of young all-rounder Cameron Green, who also suffered a concussion after being hit on the head by Jasprit Bumrah’s powerful straight punch.
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