Mitchell Starc was at his best during last week’s day-night Test. He had sensational success with the pink ball. The Australian fast bowler was most impressive taking ten wickets. His jaw-dropping performance not only propelled his club to victory, but earned him Player of the Match honors. Starc’s delivery to Root was a highlight of his control over day-night conditions. His knack for getting the pink ball moving in ways to deceive opposing batters makes him a uniquely terrifying weapon, especially in this format.
In the first innings of the Test, Starc just crushed the opponent—the one that had dropped him earlier in the series—taking seven wickets. His blistering pace, which reached up to an incredible 89 mph on average, was key in breaking down the opposing batting order. The ever-quick Starc bowls 87 mph or faster 69% of the time. This duo combined to make him a difficult test for any batsman. His jawdropping speed and accuracy soon saw him awarded with a coveted five-wicket haul. This unusual performance was his fifth in day-night Tests.
Starc’s all-format figures go some way in highlighting his pink-ball potency. In fact, he has claimed 81 wickets in only 14 day-night Tests, with an incredible bowling average of 19.53. His bowling average balloons after his initial spell. That demonstrates his ability to maintain pressure on the batsmen for the course of an entire innings. He is at his very best in overcast conditions, where the ball swings and moves through the air. Amazingly, 82% of his pink ball deliveries exhibit a pronounced swing.
The pink ball presents its own set of challenges and opportunities that Starc has found his way to prosper with over the years. This change enhances his already strong capacity to generate whiffs in the air. In doing so, he has found more success on the field as well. The combination of high pace and full-length deliveries allows him to swing the ball for longer periods, further complicating matters for opposing batsmen.
Starc’s masterclass with the pink ball only enhances his legacy as one of cricket’s most dangerous fast bowlers. His phenomenal figures and record-breaking displays in day-night Tests are testament to his world-class abilities. They understate how he thrived in all of those conditions and formats. As the game of cricket continues to change, athletes like Starc are setting the tone for what it takes to succeed in these high performance spaces.
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