Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting heaped praise on Mitchell Starc for setting the tone for the hosts with the ball on Day 1 of the first Ashes Test at Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday. Starc entered record books as he got the wicket of England opener Roty Burns with the very first delivery of the Ashes series.
Questions were asked of Mitchell Starc’s place in the side as the competition for the third seamer role was heating up in the lead up to the Ashes. Starc was in ordinary form against India earlier this year and was taken to the cleaners when India breached the Gabba fortress. However, Starc got the backing of the team management to be part of the 3-man pace attack for the Ashes opener.
Starc got into business right from the word go, becoming only the 2nd bowler in the history of Ashes to pick up a wicket with the first delivery of the series. He then returned to get the big wicket of Jos Buttler after Lunch after the England wicketkeeper was looking to counter-attack.
Starc finished with figures of 2/35 in 12 overs, backing up the good work of Pat Cummins, who picked up a 5-wicket haul on captaincy debut, and Josh Hazlewood. The three pacers were on fire as England were bundled out for 147 before Tea on Day 1.
