‘Hasn’t changed for 13 years’: Mitchell Starc’s simple game plan works wonders ahead of World Cup campaign

Mitchell Starc boasts one of the most impressive bowling records in ODI history, and the Australian quick credits his success to a charmingly simple game plan — swing the ball and hit the stumps.

The 33-year-old, currently No. 4 on the ICC’s ODI bowling rankings, put together a vintage performance on Sunday evening, claiming 5-53 to help Australia secure a thumping 10-wicket victory over India in Visakhapatnam.

It was his ninth five-wicket in ODIs — only cricket royalty Waqar Younis and Muthiah Muralitharan has claimed more.

Starc’s first four wickets came during the Powerplay, leaving the hosts in dire straits at 4-48 in the ninth over. Indian opener Shubman Gill chipped to point in the opening over before captain Rohit Sharma edged behind to rival skipper Steve Smith at first slip.

For the following delivery, the swashbuckling Suryakumar Yadav played all around a vintage Starc inswinger that sailed past the inside edge and thudded into the front pad. Plumb.

Starc was hooping the ball around corners — a couple of overs later, KL Rahul tripped over himself at the crease after Starc produced what can only be described as an unplayable delivery. The fast inswinger seamed off the perfect length, with Hawkeye suggesting it would have crashed into leg stump.

The left-armer sealed his five-fa with a peach from around the wicket that nipped away and clipped the top of Mohammed Siraj’s off stump, perhaps with a touch of reverse swing.

“It was a pleasure to watch,” Australian teammate Mitchell Marsh said.

“You know what he can do with the white ball, especially when he is swinging it. He is the best in the world.”

Starc’s uncomplicated strategy of relentlessly attacking the stumps has paid dividends — 51 per cent of Starc’s ODI wickets have been bowled or LBW, compared to 35 per cent for Glenn McGrath and 33 per cent for Brett Lee.

Despite playing predominantly on batting-friendly deck in Australia, Starc boasts the lowest strike rate among bowlers with at least 100 ODI wickets. However, his fuller length means he leaks more runs — his ODI economy rate of 5.09 is comfortably higher than McGrath (3.88) and Lee (4.76).

Starc has also proven a damaging weapon in the Powerplay — since the start of the 2019 World Cup, he has taken 25 ODI wickets during the first 10 overs of the innings, bettered only by India’s Mohammed Siraj with 26.

“My plan hasn’t changed for 13 years — bowl full, hit the stumps, try and swing it,” Starc told reporters in the post-match press conference.

“That’s been my role for a long time, to try and get wickets up front in the Powerplay.

“At times that means I’m probably more expensive, but I’m trying to bring in all modes of dismissal.

“So it’s certainly not a new game plan these last two games.

“When you’ve got a powerhouse batting unit that India do have, if you can take wickets in the Powerplay it means we sort of control the game in some respects, which is what we did today.”

Lowest bowling average in Men’s ODIs

21.79 — Allan Donald (RSA)

21.79 — Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK)

21.79 — Mitchell Starc (AUS)

22.02 — Glenn McGrath (AUS)

23.08 — Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)

The New South Welshman will be crucial to Australia’s upcoming World Cup campaign in India — he has taken 49 wickets 14.81 in the tournament, the fifth-highest tally in history.

“Every series is a chance to perform for your country, but with one eye on the World Cup, obviously with particular conditions and obviously playing against India that’s one, I guess, by-product of this series,” Starc said.

“The other is it’s still a one-day series against India in India, which we want to win.

“And then once obviously we get past that game and then probably more focus on the World Cup, there’s parts of this series which will be World Cup in the back of your mind.

“But I think predominantly for this group, it’s still a chance to win a one-day series in India, which is pretty special.”

The third ODI between India and Australia gets underway in Chennai on Wednesday, with the first ball scheduled for 7pm AEDT.