In 'Starc' contrast - Mitchell Starc and the tale of two formats

Mitchell Starc

From being criticized by the legendary Australian wizard Shane Warne for lack of aggression and intensity in his body language to having emerged as the player of the tournament at the World Cup, the last three months has been some ride for Mitchell Starc.

It’s almost a cultural thing down under for a fast bowler to maintain a certain conduct that may not be deemed nice by popular sensibilities but is essential nevertheless. A stare in the eye to the batsman after he fails to connect one leaving the off or a word or two when he ducks at your bouncer are not only routine exchanges, but are considered vital elements of your cricketing potential at large.

Not that Starc was some genial bloke prior to the Brisbane test earlier in the summer when Warne made those observations, but his lackadaisical bowling efforts were somehow attributed to the lack of expression in his follow-through. That he lacked in application was due to his ‘soft’ demeanour, was what was suggested. Soon enough though, 50 overs cricket was underway – a format Starc clearly enjoys playing – and his performance reflected his preference. Lazy analysis, lacking in reason pointed out to how Warne’s criticism charged him up and he was suddenly a different bowler. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A modest Test career so far

Ever since he made forays in International cricket back in late 2010, Mitchell Starc’s has been a curious case for fast bowling enthusiasts. A tall frame, an intense run-up, a high arm action and a prodigious swing from an angle right-handed batsmen detest made Starc a package that should have taken the cricket world by storm much sooner than he eventually did. He was quick, the release was sharp, the one angling in to the batsmen would cut arcs through the air and when needed he could hit the deck hard too.

The only area of concern back then was control. The looseners frequented way too many times to mount any serious pressure and he was a yard too slow back then for the length he preferred bowling at. Australia went ahead with three genuinely quick bowling options in Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait for the World Cup in 2011, which was a slightly strange call since none advertised discipline or was a great exponent of the reverse – a trait essential for seamers to succeed in the subcontinent – but few could complain about Starc being overlooked back then.

It was the Australian summer season later that year when Starc was handed his baggy green for the first time. In an attack led by James Pattinson and Peter Siddle, Starc performed reasonably well but failed to make it to the side in the Boxing Day test playing India where the more experienced Ben Hilfenhaus was favoured. Starc, however, found his place for the Perth Test, where Australia usually prefer playing four quicks.

It was business as usual for Australia as they continued to trounce their already dispirited opponents but the highlight for Starc in that Test was being credited with the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar. But that wasn’t enough to warrant him a place in the side. The moment Australia went back to the more orthodox combination adding a spinner to the pack. Since Perth, ’11, Australia have played 33 more Test matches and Starc has only been part of 12 of those; truly an underwhelming number for the kind of promise he showed.

Taking ODIs by storm

In complete contrast, his ODI career has been the stuff of fairytales. More than a year after having been dropped from the side, he was recalled for the tri-series with India and Sri Lanka in the home summer of 2011-12. The returns were pretty ordinary, but he got a real taste for competitive games bowling in pressure situations against two formidable teams, far more adept at playing ODI cricket than the longer format of the game. Starc could not last the entire tournament and was overlooked towards the latter part where the more experienced Brett Lee and James Pattinson were preferred, but things were only going to improve from here.

Later in 2012, Australia were on a fleeting tour to the UAE playing Afghanistan in a one-off ODI and Pakistan in a 3-match series. Starc was outstanding in all, but one game Australia lost. Raking up 14 wickets under the scorching heat of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, he bowled classic spells consistently hitting the subcontinent lengths that pushed the batsmen to drive and extracting the right amount of reverse as the innings progressed.

Much deservedly, he was named the man of the series in Australia’s victory. The following summer, Starc came of age playing the West Indies back home. Two back-to-back devastating spells at Perth, notching up a fifer each time, left the Caribbeans completely shattered. A second man of the series award came his way despite having missed the final two games of the five-match series. Mitchell Starc had arrived. Mitchell Starc was now perhaps the most vital component of the Australian ODI unit and things looked extremely propitious.

Barring missing out on a couple of bilateral series with England following the two Ashes, Starc has been the most potent weapon at Michael Clarke’s disposal and his numbers at the World Cup shouldn’t surprise anyone. His ability to bowl both with the new ball as well as finding reverse at the death and hitting the block hole is immense and something he’s been staggeringly consistent at. It can be safely asserted – today he’s the last bowler an opening batsman wants to face first up and a tail-ender is equally jittery against. Sure, Trent Boult has produced equally astounding numbers at the World Cup, but being a few yards quicker surely helps Starc’s case.

Starc needs to be patient in Test matches

Mitchell Starc has, so far, been unable to replicate his ODI form in Test matches

For some reason, however, the intensity, the confidence and the skill have never translated when he’s donned his whites. A red cherry swinging in or away from the batsman hitting the top of the off stump is the ultimate dream for any Australian fast bowler and given the outstanding talent Starc has proven to be, his returns in the longer format have been abstruse.

Granted, the selectors have been anything, but lenient to him, having seldom offered a longer rope in the format. As strange as it may sound, outside his debut against New Zealand, Starc hasn’t featured in one complete series playing any opposition home or away. There’s a clear lack of pattern in picking and dropping him making it even more unclear what role do the selectors exactly expect him to perform.

The remorseless Mitchell Johnson and the unflinching Ryan Harris have led the current Australian attack. The third spot has been up for the grab for a while and with Peter Siddle’s dip in form, now is the more opportune time than most others. Along with Starc, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are the three names doing rounds for the third seamer’s spot in the longer run but it must be remembered Harris is not getting any younger and Australia will be more than willing to find Johnson’s replacement soon.

From a fully fit squad available to them, Darren Lehmann and Michael Clarke may opt to play Hazlewood ahead of Starc if a Test match were to be played tomorrow despite his World Cup exploits. But the long Test season that it’s going to be for the Australians shall surely present an opportunity or two for all. Finding the right rhythm is the most important aspect of bowling in long spells under the sun and the key lies in realizing when to step off the peddle to conserve the gas in tank when the situation is more conducive.

In his short career thus far, if there’s one thing you could tell about Starc is he’s tried too hard. Unlike in the shorter format, the batsmen aren’t playing against time in Tests and can afford to play out a testing spell of fast bowling to score off some loose ones later. There are times when you’ve got to stick to your stock delivery outside the off stump line even if it produces little and hope for the batsman to play the wrong shot at some point.

This is where Australia should treasure having someone like Hazlewood in their ranks, who can relentlessly maintain an off stump line almost to the point of exasperating the batsman and inevitably a wicket beckons from the other end. Starc, however, did show a few signs of having matured in his approach to red ball cricket in the manner he bowled against India on the fifth day of the Sydney Test earlier this year. But, he must retain that attitude at the next opportunity thrown his way, which shouldn’t be too far.

Having had a stupendous tournament at what is widely perceived as cricket’s biggest stage, Starc finds the world at his feet right now. But, in order to make a name for himself in the more purist echelons of the game, finding success in Test matches is of greatest importance. With his skill and time being on his side, there’s every reason to believe the contrast in his numbers across formats should begin to blur soon enough.