‘He was never going to miss this one unless he absolutely had to’ – Pat Cummins on Mitchell Starc’s fitness

Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Cricket Australia)

There was cloud of concern hovering over Mitchell Starc ahead of the fifth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 after the left-arm seamer was seen favouring his back in between deliveries in both the first and second innings of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. However, Australian captain Pat Cummins gave a positive update on Starc’s fitness, as he said that the pacer has received the all-clear to play in the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting on Friday, January 3.

Cummins said that Starc went for a scan on Wednesday and received the green signal to play in the all-important encounter. The former lauded Starc’s resilience as he fought through injuries and produced some stunning performances over the years.

“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,” Cummins said in a presser on Thursday.

“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,” he added.

You feel like you’ve got five different bowlers in one: Pat Cummins

Cummins said that Starc has adapted in the last five years and added some new tricks in his repertoire to go with the ones he already had. The 31-year-old went on to analyse Starc’s different skill sets and described him as a dream of a bowler for a captain to have in his ranks.

“As a bowler, I think he has adapted a lot. Particularly in the last five years. He’s now got a wobble seam. He uses his bouncers quite well. It’s not just that get it full, try and swing and hit a front pad. He’s got a lot of different strengths. He comes around the wicket to right-handers. I think he’s just really proactive. He knows his skill sets really well. He’s an absolute dream as a captain. You feel like you’ve got five different bowlers in one,” Cummins explained.

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Australia lead the five-match series by a 2-1 margin. The hosts have announced their playing XI for the last game, with Beau Webster replacing the out-of-form Mitchell Marsh.