Vaibhav Tripathi
Andrew McDonald, Australia’s head coach, has explained Mitchell Starc’s absence in the first Ashes Test and suggested that he might feature in the second match at Lord’s. Starc could potentially replace Scott Boland, depending on Josh Hazlewood’s fitness after his return to the format. Boland, who made his Test debut in 2021, had a poor outing in the first Test, conceding 5.65 runs per over and taking only two wickets in the match.
“It’s really down to a gut feel at selection, so it can be critiqued any way you want,” said McDonald, talking to reporters. “We felt like when we went into the game, with all the information that we had, we made the best decision. We took Starcy on that journey, he understands that, and he understands the fact there are four more Test matches and he’s got a pivotal part to play within that.
“There’s going to be huge demand on all our fast bowlers to get through the five (Ashes) Test matches, plus the World Test Championship. Josh (Hazlewood) was fit and available, we felt like he was the best on this surface, and that might be Mitch (Starc) next game, who knows?”