Mitchell Starc is set to play his 100th Test for Australia when they take on the West Indies in the third Test of the ongoing series in Kingston, starting July 13. He will become just the 16th Australian and the second fast-bowler from his country after Glenn McGrath to reach the milestone.
Starc, who made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2011, admitted he never thought he would even play one. Over the years, he has become one of Australia’s most reliable match-winners with the ball. He is also just five wickets away from becoming the fourth Australian to reach 400 Test wickets.
The upcoming match will be only the second ever day-night Test played in the Caribbean. While Australia are experienced in pink-ball Tests, having won 12 out of 13, this will be their first time using a pink Dukes ball.
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Mitchell Starc Admits He Never Imagined Playing 100 Tests
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Mitchell Starc shared his thoughts on the unusual setup of his milestone match. He admitted he found it amusing that his 100th Test would be a pink-ball game, saying,
"I don't think it's poetic, but it's quite funny that I'm playing [the] 100th in a pink-ball game."
With the pink Dukes ball being used for the first time by the Australian side, Starc said it is unfamiliar territory for the group. He also revealed that only one of his teammates, Usman Khawaja, has any prior experience with the pink Dukes ball, and even that came in a county game.
"There might be a few things going on at night with the pink Dukes. It's a new one for us as a group. I think Usman [Khawaja] is the only one who's played with a pink Dukes, and it was an English Dukes, and he said the county game went for a day-and-a-half," Starc added.
Reflecting on the journey to 100 Tests, Starc said he never imagined getting this far. The left-arm pacer also spoke fondly of the fast-bowlers he looked up to and played alongside throughout his career.
"I didn’t think I’d play one (Test). (It’s) pretty humbling to play that much. A huge honour, probably something more to reflect on when I’m finished. Anytime you’re mentioned alongside some of those names, like Glenn (and) I’ve been fortunate enough to play with Mitchell Johnson (73 Tests), ‘Sidds’ (Peter Siddle, 67 Tests) and ‘Rhino’ (Ryan Harris, 27 Tests) and to have a bit of relationship with Brett (Lee, 76 Tests), I’ve been very lucky through cricket to a meet those guys and then play alongside or learn different pieces from them," the 35-year-old shared.
Aussies Clinch Series, Eye Clean Sweep in Kingston
Starc is considered one of the best pink-ball bowlers in the world. He has bagged 74 wickets in day-night Tests at an average of just 18.14.
Australia have already sealed the series 2-0, having won the first two Tests by 159 runs and 133 runs respectively. The third Test in Kingston will be a chance for them to finish the series on a high, and for Starc to celebrate his 100th match in fitting fashion.
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