Kolkata/Ahmedabad: After Australia made it to the final of the ongoing Cricket World Cup, their key pacer Mitchell Starc is already preparing for the summit clash to be played in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19.
Australia, who are five-time World Champions, stormed into the Final after defeating South in an edge of the seat thriller at the famed Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.
And Mitchell Starc was already looking ahead to the challenge of India in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final.
Mitchell Starc, who played a key role in Australia's 2015 World Cup triumph, was out in the middle alongside captain Pat Cummins, when Australia wrapped up the three-wicket win over South Africa with the bat.
Starc and co-pacer Josh Hazlewood had wrought havoc with the new ball and had left South Africa reeling at 24/4 at one stage.
“It’s probably not been the tournament I would have liked from the get-go, but it’s nice to step up in a big game. And I think our powerplay was probably what got us on our way," Starc was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“There were other key moments through the day with bat and ball. But to start the game like that with Joshie (Josh Hazlewood) and I, powerplay wickets have probably been not our strong suit through the tournament so it's nice to have a powerplay of, what, two for 18, or something like that," added the left-arm pacer.
Starc heaped praise on co-pacer Josh Hazlewood saying, "The way Josh bowled throughout to finish two for 12 (from eight overs) was incredible,” added Starc, who finished with exceptional figures of 3/34.
“I think looking at Josh's pitch map, that's what he does so well in Test Match bowling. He was incredible today (on Thursday) and the way we run off each other to have that powerplay that we did and carry some momentum through the middle was how we want to start matches. It was nice to do it in a big game," he added.
The new-ball pair will undoubtedly have a big part to play if the Pat Cummins-led side are to overcome the tournament hosts and favorites India in Sunday’s final.
India’s top three of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli are in scintillating form, scoring plethora of runs to set up their side’s unbeaten progress to the final of the marquee tournament.
However, Starc is already relishing the prospect of taking the Indian top order on.
“It’s why we play the game. We want to take on the best. They've been the best in the tournament so far and we both find ourselves in the final. That's what World Cups are about. You want to take on the best throughout and we certainly come up against a team that have obviously led from the front through the tournament and they're undefeated."
“We played them in the first game of the tournament (when India won by six wickets), now we get to take them on in the last. So yeah, what a place to be at the end of a World Cup!," added Starc.
More from our World Cup coverage
- World Cup 2023: Ravindra Jadeja gets best fielder award from Suryakumar Yadav in dressing room ceremony
- World Cup 2023: Hardik's injury and Shami's inclusion blessing in disguise!
- 'I'm a batter, can bowl, all-rounder...maybe', David Beckham tells BCCI after India-New Zealand semifinal
- 'He hits 4s, 6s, I just watch...' Shubman Gill on playing second fiddle to Rohit; likens his game to Virat Kohli's
- Team India's dream run decoded: How Men in Blue reached CWC final
