Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc believes that the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India stands on the same level as the prestigious Ashes series for the Australian side given by Fast bowler, Mitchell Starc.
For this year, there are 5 matches in the series, which is a first since 1991-92 (season). It will be launch in November. ”An Ashes series is five games now,” state Starc on Wide World of Sports.
This goes down as a memorable achievement for India who won four consecutive Border Gavsakar Trophy series starting from the 2014-15 season with both their historic victories in Australia during their last two trips here spanning 2018-19 and 2020-21 winter tours.
Starc however wants to change things around and has his sights set on a clean sweep given that this match matters so much when it comes to the context of the World Test Championship (WTC) rankings. The WTC points table shows India at number one and Australia at number two.
“We always want to win every game at home and we know India are a very strong team,” he said. “At present we’re sitting second or third on top of our Test ladder…so very exciting series coming up for fans and certainly us players. Hopefully when we’re sitting there on January 8th, I suppose it’ll be nice as well if we’ve got that trophy back in our hands.”
Starc will join an elite club of cricketers having played 100 Tests with just eleven more caps. The thirty-four-year-old does not have any plans of retiring from Test cricket soon though but has taken his step back from playing limited overs cricket deliberately so that he can stay long enough and be effective with red-ball cricket.
“…It’s an amazing feeling whenever I put my baggy green cap on. Five times over summer hopefully with five wins and five renditions of that song and then we can move forward.”
“It’d be pretty special if I get past that 100 number one day,” he added.
The left-arm fast bowler will also feature in limited-overs matches in the UK next month. After the white-ball games end, Starc plans to return home to play for New South Wales in domestic competitions.
“For me the Tests are always priority,” he said. “We’ve got seven Test matches in a row with five against India and two away to Sri Lanka so those are on top at the minute.”
Moreover, there is Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood besides Starc as well who will lead Australia’s attack.
“Pat is resting for this UK tour…we love playing all three formats but that could look different at different times over 12 months.”
“We have no end date really (for our bowling careers) … We’ll see where (our) bodies are and whether they still want it, but right now it’s all guns blazing towards five Tests against India.”
