Pat Cummins issues huge fitness update on Mitchell Starc amid reports of back injury before BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Australian captain Pat Cummins has issued a major update on Mitchell Starc ahead of the fifth and final Test against India in Sydney, beginning on January 3. The right-arm speedster revealed that Starc received an all-clear for the fixture and that something big was going to take for him to miss it.

The left-arm speedster held his back between deliveries in the first and second innings of the Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne. With Australia having Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott in the squad as reserve players, Starc was a doubtful starter but will now play in front of his home crowd.

Speaking at a presser on Wednesday, Cummins stated that Starc was a must, given the importance of this match, keeping in mind the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The 31-year-old said, as quoted by Perth Now:

"You always consider it, he went off for a scan yesterday. Got the all clear to play this match. There are always considerations. But it's a big game in the context of the series and World Test Championship. He was never going to miss this one unless he absolutely had to."

The only wicket picked up by Starc in the MCG Test was that of Virat Kohli, getting him to nick one on Day 5 to dismiss the right-hander for five runs.

"He is the one player who refuses ever to talk about being rested or rotated" - Pat Cummins on Mitchell Starc

Pat Cummins. (Image Credits: Getty)

Cummins went on to laud Starc's resilience, claiming that all he concentrates on is getting better no matter how much criticism comes his way. He added:

"It's just his resilience. He has bowled 145km/h for 15 years. And a lot of overs. You just don't do that without dealing with different niggles and setbacks. He just grits his teeth and gets on with it. He is the one player who refuses ever to talk about being rested or rotated. He wants to go out there and play for Australia. He has had some quiet games in the past and people are out to get him, but he just wants to play. I just have huge admiration for him from that point of view."

Australia need to either win or draw the Sydney to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.