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In the dead rubber against Bangladesh, Australia decided to rest their premier fast bowler Mitchell Starc to keep his legs fresh for the World Cup 2023 semi-final. On the morning of their last league clash at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, Starc was seen doing wicketkeeping drills as he kept to fast bowlers. While many praised Starc for his technique, former Australian opener Matthew Hayden was not happy with him risking an injury ahead of knockout games.
“Not that I watch your forehead closely, but I saw it crinkle up, with one eyebrow raised,” Hayden said in the commentary on Star Sports.
“You’re having the day off, the last thing you want to do is break a finger.”
Similarly, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull criticised the left-arm pacer for not making the most of the rest day.
“I know he’s probably getting keeping lessons at home from (wife) Alyssa Healy,” Doull said.
“He was actually wicketkeeping this morning to the quick bowlers, and I thought, ‘That is fraught with danger’.
“You’ve got a couple of games left in the World Cup, and you’ve got the gloves on wicketkeeping to the quicks. If you get one on the finger, I just didn’t think that was overly smart.”
So far, Starc has taken 10 wickets from eight games. He was most expensive against New Zealand when he conceded 89 runs and remained wicketless. Earlier in the tournament, he became the second Australian to take 50 or more wickets in World Cups. He has 59 wickets from 26 matches including three fifers and three four-fers.
Sean Abbott replaced Starc in the side. While Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins remained wicketless, Abbott took the wickets of opener Tanzid Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Unlike Cummins and Hazlewood, Abbott bowled his full quota of 10 overs and conceded 61 runs.
Earlier, Cummins won the toss and opted to bowl first. Bangladesh batters dominated the proceedings. Towhid Hridoy scored 74 runs and helped Bangladesh post 306/8 from 50 overs. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up two wickets for 32 runs in his quota of 10 overs.
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