Harris backs Starc as next England tormentor
MELBOURNE, Nov 16, (RTRS): The spirit of Mitchell Johnson could return to haunt England’s batsmen during the Ashes in the form of another left-arm paceman, Mitchell Starc, according to former Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris.
A rampaging Johnson took 37 wickets at an astonishing average of 13.97 to fire Australia to a 5-0 whitewash in the 2013-14 series Down Under, leaving mental scars on a number of the tourists’ batters.
Australia spearhead Starc had a similar volatile mix of pace, swing and bounce to be a Johnson-style wrecking ball in the series that started in Brisbane next week, said Harris.
The 27-year-old has also been in ominous form, capturing 17 wickets for New South Wales in his two Sheffield Shield warmup matches.
“He’s definitely got it in him. I’ve just spent some time with him. He’s bowling fast,” Harris told Reuters in an interview from Brisbane.
“He probably had a little bit of an issue over the last few months with not swinging the ball as much as he’d like. But giving him that red ball, he’s probably as consistent as I’ve seen him for a while as well. “He’s got the pace of Johnson, he moves it both ways, exactly like Johnson does, and doesn’t even know he’s doing it.
“He’s also got that brutal yorker that he can pull out when he wants. So, I’d love to see that happen again, someone rip through the English again and put a bit of fear in the back of their minds.”
Along with Peter Siddle, Harris was on hand to witness Johnson at his destructive best as a member of the pace trio in Michael Clarke’s Australia that captured all 20 English wickets in each of the five tests.
Johnson set the tone early in the opener at the Gabba, taking nine wickets in a short-pitched blitz that set up a 381-run battering against the shellshocked touring party.
Stoneman, who has been England’s best-performing batsman on tour with three half-centuries, got on with the job on Thursday before he was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Daniel Fallins immediately after tea.
“It’s very pleasing to get three figures after the starts I’ve had on the tour,” Stoneman told reporters.
“It’s another level of progression, which is what is required so close to the first Test.
“I’m in decent touch. Everyone has been critical of the opposition we have faced, but I’m fairly happy.”
Stoneman showed attacking intent from the outset after Stuart Broad had taken the final home wicket to dismiss Cricket Australia for 250.
Stoneman survived a difficult chance to gully on 41 before reaching 50 off 66 balls and a hundred off 140.
But if Stoneman was the batting star, the tourists would have been delighted with Cook’s return to form after his fitful start to the tour.
The former captain took 11 balls to get off the mark but once set he hardly looked in trouble until he edged an attempted cut off Matt Short to the keeper on 70.
It was a sign that Cook, who plundered 766 runs when England won in Australia seven years ago and had made just 45 runs in three innings so far, that this may have been a personal turning point on tour.
But there was promise of more runs to come on Friday’s third day with Root and Malan on unbeaten halfcenturies and the innings lead already at 87.
The only downside to the day for the tourists was James Vince, batting at number three, who went for a classy but all too brief 26.
Vince was convinced he had hit a ball from Fallins into the ground before he was taken at short leg but, after consulting, the umpires made what replays suggested was the right decision to give him out.