Mitchell Starc says he might shoulder a little more responsibility as the senior member of Australia’s new-look pace attack, but he believes Scott Boland’s experience and Brendan Doggett’s strong form will hold them in good stead for the opening Ashes Test in Perth.
The 35-year-old has become Australia’s core, having not missed a Test through injury since breaking his finger on Boxing Day in 2022. In Australia’s most recent Test in July, he reached two major milestones - his 100th Test appearance
and his 400th Test wicket.
With Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood unavailable for the Perth Test, Starc will lead the attack and, remarkably, will be the only one of the quicks to have bowled in a first-class match at Perth Stadium. Boland and Doggett have previously played at the venue only in BBL fixtures. Despite that, Starc is confident both bowlers will rise to the occasion at the start of the Ashes series.
"I think we're all pretty clear on what our roles are. Obviously I've got a little bit more experience there. Scotty's [Scott Boland] been around for a fair while now, so it's not like I'm telling him what to do. We've got Patty [Pat Cummins] in the sheds with us anyway. So yeah, I may take on a little bit of an experienced role, if you like. But we've all been around the traps for a while, so it's just staying together as a group,” said Starc as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Starc believes Doggett will be more than capable of handling the pressure of an Ashes series, with the Queensland quick looking almost certain to debut as Australia’s third seamer. Starc first met Doggett during their 2018 tour in the UAE for a Test series against Pakistan, and he feels the fast bowler has come a long way since that initial stint with the national squad.
"Brendan was a lot younger and rawer then. We knew what he was about, and since then he's made the change to South Australia. I think he's come in red-hot. He's had a good couple of weeks. We as a group know what he's capable of, and the skills that he presents,” said Starc.
“And being a little bit older than back in 2018, he's probably a little bit more comfortable in his own skin and around the group. So, really excited if he gets his opportunity this week to see what he can do in a Test arena. Having had him around the group for a while over the years, I think he's certainly in a great headspace,” he added.
Starc and Doggett put on a clinical show in the Perth Stadium nets on Wednesday morning under overcast skies, after Australia’s training session was briefly delayed due to a nearby lightning strike. The nets have challenged batters all week, and the pair continued the trend, peppering Steven Smith, Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green during an intense hour-long spell.
Starc even found the edge of Smith’s bat and looked in superb rhythm, having rediscovered something during his recent Sheffield Shield outing after shaking off some rust during the ODI series against India. He admitted, however, that he did not bowl as well as Pat Cummins had in the nets on Monday. Cummins did not bowl on Wednesday but attended training after missing the optional session on Tuesday. He is inching closer to a return for the Brisbane Test after pulling up well from his eight-over spell earlier in the week.
"Probably understand why he doesn't train much, because when he does, he makes us all look silly. He was really, really sharp the other day. Sounds like he's pulling up pretty well. So very positive,” said Starc.
Cummins’ absence with the ball is a significant blow, but his absence with the bat may be even harder to cover. Doggett’s first-class batting average is just 8.57, and he has yet to score a half-century, with a top score of 49. He is likely to bat at No. 11 behind Boland, with Nathan Lyon moving up to No. 9 and Starc returning to No. 8, a position he has long tried to avoid as his batting form has declined over the years.
"I've been trying to get rid of No. 8 for a while, and now I have to go back there. You all think we fight about getting higher up the order. We all fight to get lower. We know how important, how beneficial contributions there can be to first innings, second innings, setting up a total, whatever it may be. That'll play a part. I will keep working on it,” said Starc.
