It’s a Starc reality for Australians
AUSTRALIA’S bowling attack have been left exposed without Mitchell Starc as Alastair Cook revelled in what life is like when the much-vaunted big three is depleted.
England antagonist James Anderson was savaged for his pre-Test assertion that Australia has no fast bowling depth, and although he was coming from a position of irrelevance at 3-0 down, on yesterday’s evidence he might have been right, and dreams of a whitewash are all but dead.
Jackson Bird has so far endured a horror return to Test cricket, racking up alarming figures of 0-108 as Australia were given an insight into the challenging world that awaits them if they are without any member of their Fab 4 – Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins or Lyon.
England are still batting at 9-491 and already hold a commanding 164-run lead that has them in the box seat for victory at the MCG.
Bird was given the rounds of the kitchen on the Bay 13 Fence by a raucous Barmy Army who subbed his name in for Mitchell Johnson in their famous “bowls to the left, bowls to the right” ballad which was belted out on repeat.
England are now in the box seat for victory at the MCG after Cook (244 not out) smashed a magnificent double hundred and Stuart Broad (56 off 63) cashed in on the absence of tail-end slayer Starc to surge the first-innings lead out of Australia’s reach.
Cook’s epic innings is the highest ever by a visiting player at the MCG and has given him a shot at the highest score ever by a batsman who carries his bat through an innings.
England’s tail has been an embarrassment all series, but Broad yesterday rediscovered his mojo as our Ashes villain to hammer the highest Ashes innings by an English No.10.
A flat MCG pitch that has shown no sign of deteriorating gives Australia hope that the match can still be saved, but hopes that Steve Smith’s side could remain on track to inflict a 5-0 whitewash in Sydney are now dashed.
Drawing the Test is Australia’s best-case scenario after a major drop in standards across the board from the first three matches.
Australia’s top order will be facing extreme scoreboard pressure today and a repeat of the mental lapses that butchered a huge opportunity to go big themselves in the first dig would ensure a sobering Boxing Day defeat.
Leading into this Ashes series, selectors made managing
the health and preparation of Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood their No.1 priority.
They understood implicitly that the power trio were Australia’s point of difference.
The job is already done and Australia have secured the urn, but yesterday the irreplaceable qualities of the big three were laid bare. And one English opener chased in big time.