WATCH: Mitchell Starc’s unplayable double strike to Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan

Mitchell Starc had to play out of his skin in the first two Tests against Pakistan in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The pitches weren’t conducive to pace bowling and the left-armer didn’t get the desired results despite bending his back. But the southpaw returned to his very best in the ongoing third Test at the Gaddafi […]
 By Sabyasachi Chowdhury Mar 23, 2022, 19:39 IST
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WATCH: Mitchell Starc’s unplayable double strike to Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan

Mitchell Starc had to play out of his skin in the first two Tests against Pakistan in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The pitches weren’t conducive to pace bowling and the left-armer didn’t get the desired results despite bending his back. But the southpaw returned to his very best in the ongoing third Test at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The 32-year-old smelled blood and breathed fire during the third day’s play of the game. He ran in with ferocity and gave the Pakistan batters nightmares in broad daylight. It goes without saying, the hosts’ batters found it tough to counter Starc’s thunderbolts. In 20.4 overs, the New South Wales-born Starc finished with figures of 20.4-33-4.

Watch: Mitchell Starc produces unplayable yorker to dismiss Fawad Alam in Karachi Test

Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan are decent players of pace bowling, but even the duo couldn’t survive the venom spewed by Starc. In the 107th over, Starc bowled a full-length ball at sheer pace and the leather swung back viciously to take down Fawad’s stumps. The batter had no answer to the vicious delivery from Starc.

Thereafter, it was Rizwan’s turn to get ripped apart into shreds. The 29-year-old came into the game after scoring a match-saving ton for Pakistan at the National Stadium. Starc bowled a good length delivery from around the wicket and Rizwan tried to play a defensive stroke.

But the ball moved off the seam a wee bit and crashed onto the stumps. Rizwan tried his best to cover the line of the ball, but was beaten by Starc’s pace and seam. The right-handed batter was rightly taken by surprise as Starc erupted in ecstasy.

Australia in command after Mitchell Starc bowls with venom

After Australia scored 391 in their first innings, Pakistan were coasting along at 214 for two. Azhar Ali and skipper Babar Azam had got their eyes in, having scored half-centuries. But then, Starc and Pat Cummins joined hands to wreak havoc in the hosts’ batting unit.

WATCH: Mitchell Starc bowls funny moon ball wide; leaves keeper shocked

Apart from Fawad and Rizwan, Starc also pinned a well-set Babar, who made 67, and Naseem Shah. Cummins, on the other hand, went on to pick up a five-wicket haul. Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for 54 runs. At Stumps on Day three, the Aussies are leading by 134 runs.

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