ICC World Cup 2019 | Will Australia continue to bask in Mitchell Starc’s glory?

Result? England’s hopes are shattered with that one deadly delivery, that one striking delivery that cleaned up a high-flying Stokes and there was hardly anything he could have done about that ‘deadly’ yorker. Stokes kicked his bat and somehow picked himself in displeasure to take the long walk back in agony. Starc has done it again, he has won the game for Australia under the pump. Most of the geniuses at the crease would have fallen prey to that delivery, such was the brilliance of Starc.

He looked a little rusty at the start, but there was no dearth in rhythm or determination. The hunger for success was clearly evident; the desperation for a good spell was looming all over him. After a modest outing against Afghanistan, Starc weaved magic at Nottingham against West Indies. And once he got into his zone, there was no stopping him. 

In knock-out stages, teams with better bowling attacks stand a greater chance of winning and one wouldn’t be wrong in tagging the Australian attack to be the best alongside India. Their bowlers have found form at a vital time and if there is any help in the surface, Australian bowlers will exploit it brutally. Starc’s form has been intimidating while Jason Behrendorff has silently proven his mettle and Pat Cummins, on the other hand, can fire it up out of the blue. Nathan Lyon has been a smart customer with his off-spin while Marcus Stoinis has fulfilled the role of a fifth bowler quite effectively.

Of late, Australia have been marred by injuries and the absence of Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh have affected them heavily while Marcus Stoinis’ participation is still in jeopardy. The team’s morale is definitely low and the onus of lifting it up and setting the tempo will be on Starc’s shoulders. 

England’s success largely depends on the way their openers fare and the return of Jason Roy is a testament to it. Starc, on the other hand, has a knack of killing the big game at the outset, like he famously did it against New Zealand in the 2015 final by getting rid of Brendon McCullum. If he manages to replicate similar magic in this high-voltage semi-final, there is no reason why Australia cannot tighten the noose around England at the start and push them on the back foot.  

More importantly, Starc’s performance has brought that feeling of a confident Australian side in a mega event and he is looking like a different bowler altogether. He may not be the greatest, but there is only Mitchell Starc and will always be. His sheer pace, early movement and intimidating style typify the Australian brand of cricket. And for now, Australia would want all of this to click in the semi-final.