Starc far from ‘slow’ as career best gives Australia the edge over India

Australia dominate the first day of the second Test against India as Mitchell Starc takes career-best bowling figures.

Mitchell Starc was a menace with the pink ball and claimed a career-best six for 48 as Australia bundled out India for 180 inside two sessions of the day-night second test in Adelaide on Friday.

The hosts finished Day One on 86-1, looking on course for a first-innings lead as they seek to bounce back in the five-Test series. Opener Nathan McSweeney was batting on 38 with Marnus Labuschagne on 20 at the other end.

Earlier, armed with the brand new pink ball, Starc set the tone by dismissing Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw – via a searing inswinging yorker – with the first ball of the match.

The left-arm quick let out a roar that showed how much Australia prized the wicket of the dangerous Jaiswal, who smashed a rapid 161 in the series opener in Perth and was caught on stump mic telling Starc he was bowling “too slow”.

Talking to broadcasters after the India innings, Starc said he did not really visualise Jaiswal’s dismissal. “Not so much … but nice to sneak one past,” the 34-year-old said with a smile.

Starc wreaked havoc with the pink ball and now has 72 wickets in day-night tests, which is the most by any bowler. The humidity in Adelaide, however, made it difficult for him to operate at his best. “Certainly, didn’t help the engine, I got a bit crampy at the end there,” he said.

Following Jaiswal’s departure, Shubman Gill (31) – who missed the Perth Test with a thumb injury – played a couple of gorgeous drives but KL Rahul, at the other end, retreated into a defensive shell.

Retained as an opener after his patient half-century in Perth, Rahul needed 21 balls to get off the mark and got two reprieves