The West Test: Australia’s Mitchell Starc delivers sledge to Indian debutant Harshit Rana
As India’s brilliant fast bowlers rightly had their tails up at Optus Stadium, Mitchell Starc issued an ominous reminder about what’s still to come.
The tourists turned up the heat on Australia early on day two, setting up a significant first-innings lead as the Jasprit Bumrah-led attack once again fired.
Debutant Harshit Rana was also impressive, backing up his Day 1 wicket of Travis Head with the scalp of Nathan Lyon.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.But as he appeared to poke out his tongue to after getting Starc to fend a rising ball down to second slip, the Aussie veteran made sure he knew he’d be in the firing line once the roles were reversed.
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“I bowl faster than you Harshit,” Starc was picked up saying on the stump microphone.
“I bowl faster than you. I’ve got a long memory.”
Starc and Rana both nudged speeds of 144km/h as they took advantage of great conditions for bowlers in Perth.
Starc was able to keep India at bay for 112 balls, emerging as the unlikely top scorer in Australia’s innings with 26 as they succumbed for just 104 - a first-innings deficit of 46.
Rana finished an impressive debut innings with the ball with 3-48.
