Disappointed Australian captain Tim Paine picked on spearhead Mitchell Starc for Australia's 31-run loss in the first Test against India at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
Disappointed Australian captain Tim Paine picked on spearhead Mitchell Starc for Australia's 31-run loss in the first Test against India at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
There were not many positives for the hosts to take into the second Test. The only players who indeed made a difference were Travis Head, Shaun Marsh and Nathan Lyon. Head top-scored in Australia's first innings with a gritty knock of 167-ball 72, when the other batsmen failed to make a crucial contribution. On the other hand, Marsh Sr top-scorer in their chase of 323 runs with 60 runs off 166 balls and Lyon's six-wicket haul denied India from setting a huge target.
Speaking about Australia's loss in the opening Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Paine said, "There was a number of reasons why we lost.
We thought we could have cleaned them up on day one for 200-210 and we let that slip a bit. Clearly, we'd like to score more than 230 in first innings in Australia. There are things we do need to tighten up."
Blaming and backing Mitchell Starc at the same time, Paine said, "He (Mitchell Starc) didn't set the world on fire but I think, for a long time, there's been a really big gap between Starcy's best and his worst.
And from what I'm seeing, that is getting closer and closer every day. Was he at his best? Probably not. But I still thought he played his role."
However, the 34-year-old is positive Starc will play a huge role in the second Test in Perth, which is known to be fast bowler's paradise.
"When Starcy's on a song, there is no better bowler in the world, particularly with the new ball. In Perth, the conditions will suit him down to the ground ... from what I am hearing, the wicket is going to be really fast so he'll be a handful," Paine said.
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 "India vs Australia 2018-19")
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