India’s captain for cricket, Rohit Sharma, is going to open the innings. As per reports at No. 3, KL Rahul will be batting against Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, claims the Times Of India. Reportedly, Rohit is going back to the opener role after appearing at No. 6 in the last 2 scores; however, the report doesn’t mention anything regarding Shubman Gill’s position in the batting order. It further claims that India is thinking about fielding two spinners, with Washington Sundar joining Ravindra Jadeja in the process. In that case, Nitish Kumar Reddy will be out despite having performed well in the ongoing five-match Test series.
Meanwhile, the Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is five away from bowling an international wicket for the 700th time. He will then be bolstering his status as only the fourth Australian bowler to achieve this milestone after roller-spinning Shane Warne (1,001 scalps), Glenn McGrath (949 scalps) and Brett Lee (718 scalps).
In 284 international matches, Starc has thrown away 695 scalps at an average of 25.67, including best figures of 6/28 and 24 five-wicket hauls.
Test cricket is his best format, having taken 372 scalps in 92 matches at an average of 27.55, with his best being 6/48 and 15 five-wicket hauls to his name. He is four in Australia’s list of highest takers in this format.
Starc has taken 244 in 127 ODIs at an average of 23.40 with the best score of 6/28. Nine times, he has taken five wickets or more in an innings in the format. Starc is, in this format, also the fourth-highest wicket-taker for Australia.
In 65 T20 matches, he managed to take 79 scalps at an average of 23.81, taking brilliant 4/20 figures in this format. Apart from spinner Adam Zampa’s (117), he is the second highest-wicket-taker for Australia in this format.
Starc has taken them into big Test triumphs for Australia, into ICC Cricket World Cups in 2015 and 2023, into Televised World T20, and into last year when the ICC World Test Championship match had taken place.
Starc is one shy of achieving the milestone of 100 international wickets against India and becomes only the third Australian after Lyon and Lee and overall the 14th to do so. He has 99 wickets from 45 matches against India at an average of 33.51, with best figures of 6/51. He has three five-wicket hauls against India. The highest international wicket-taker against India currently is James Anderson of England, who has taken 189 in 72 matches. For Australia, Lyon has taken 128 scalps in 38 matches.
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