Australian pacer Mitchell Starc’s 'self-diagnose' that rectified him in first Test

NEW DELHI: Australia pace bowler Mitchell Starc found himself in a predicament over his bowling delivery action during the first Test against Pakistan that “frustrated him a little bit”. Frustrated by some wayward deliveries throughout Pakistan’s first innings in Perth, Starc set about pinpointing a technical flaw.

Despite his remarkable performance in bowling almost a quarter of Australia's first-innings overs, Starc felt a growing frustration with his own form.

The sweltering heat and the relentless pressure of the game would have led any bowler to seek some respite, but Starc, fueled by a relentless determination, chose a different path.

The frustration of not immediately identifying the root cause led Starc to continue practicing even in the hottest part of the day. Andrew McDonald and Daniel Vettori, the coaching staff, followed him to offer assistance. Starc, however, insisted on figuring it out himself, citing his experience in problem-solving.

"I like to think I'm experienced enough to be able to problem solve and work it out on my own," Starc told cricket.com.au. “That probably frustrated me a little bit out there in the first innings -– I couldn't quite work out what the issue was.”

"I came off and had a quick look at some footage. Then once the innings finished, I had probably a dozen balls out the back just trying to work it out, along with Dan Vettori and Ronnie (McDonald).

"I sort of worked out what it was. (The net session) was just to reassure that's what it was, and that I'd fixed it."

Starc, in an attempt to self-diagnose, had noticed issues with his bowling action. He was becoming increasingly wayward, and this raised concerns for the usually reliable left-arm spearhead. Troubles with his 'take-off' point and an uneven pitch were complicating matters, making him vulnerable to slips and affecting his line and length.

After a series of wide and off-target deliveries in the first innings, Starc, McDonald, and Vettori delved into footage analysis to pinpoint the issue.

Starc, determined to rely on his experience, worked independently to find a solution. A misdiagnosis on his part initially led him to believe his front arm was the problem, but collaborative efforts with the coaching staff revealed the actual flaw in his bowling arm's motion.

With newfound clarity, Starc took the ball in the second innings and delivered a remarkable performance, taking three crucial wickets. The quiet optimism in the Australian camp suggests that Starc's resilience and ability to troubleshoot on the go will make him even better in the upcoming Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

"It's part of being a cricketer -– you're in this game long enough, you hopefully work out a few things, or be able to problem solve on the go," said Starc, who returned match figures of 5-99 from 31 overs.

“I've been around a long time and had to work through a few things. It was more of a feel thing and being able to work out what wasn't quite working the way it wanted to be.”

"It's what we're after as a group of experienced cricketers to problem solve on the go, and that's why we've been pretty successful in the last couple of years,” he concluded.