Got up under Sachin’s armpit: Ponting recalls moment when Starc teased he was destined for greatness

New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): Former Australia captain and ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting took a trip down memory lane and reminisced about the moment that served as the “reassurance" that there was something “extra special" for seasoned quick Mitchell Starc.

There aren’t many bowlers who play 100 Tests or take 400 wickets in the format, but Starc has added both accolades in his illustrious career in a destructive fashion. Earlier this week, Starc made the pink Dukes’ ball dance to his tunes and blazed his way to the fastest five-wicket haul. He needed just 15 deliveries to accomplish the feat, becoming the second-fastest to 400 Test wickets and finishing with career-best figures of 6/9 as the West Indies packed on a historic low, 27 in Jamaica.

When Starc was finding his feet at the pinnacle of cricket, Ponting was part of the dressing room during the speedster’s early days. He vividly recalled Australia’s encounter against India at WACA in 2012, which was just Starc’s third Test. During the fiery contest, Starc unsettled the legendary ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar with pace and movement, exhibiting signs of his true potential.

“I remember, he was bowling a spell to Sachin Tendulkar and was able to sort of bowl a short one, get up under Sachin’s armpit up under Sachin’s armpi and Sachin just sort of knocked one into short leg on the leg side," Ponting recalled on the ICC Review.

“And when you could see that sort of pace and bounce and have someone like Sachin not be able to cope with it, I think that was the reassurance for all of us that there was probably something extra special there for Mitchell Starc," he added.

Former Australia captain lavished praise on Starc’s legacy, which spans over 16 years and 292 international matches. Ponting believes that even as a youngster, it wasn’t hard to identify that Starc was destined for greatness.

“He’s really now stacking up an amazing career – over 400 Test match wickets. I think everyone who laid eyes on him as a youngster understood that there was every possibility that he could be a 100-Test match, 400 or 500-wicket fast bowler for Australia," he said.

“He’s got to be 6’5". He’s always had pace on his side. He’s always been sort of that high 140s and sometimes pushing that sort of 150 barrier. He’s had the ability to swing the new ball back into the right-handers," he added.

Starc arguably has all the accolades that a player dreams of achieving. The 35-year-old left-armer is a two-time 50-over World Cup winner, T20 World Cup champion, and World Test Championship winner. With 725 international wickets to his name, Starc etched his name as a modern-day great.

For Ponting, there is an insatiable hunger in Starc, which keeps him wanting to evolve, improve and add new weapons in his heavily loaded artillery.

“He’s got better and better. Like skill-wise and mentally, I think he understands his body, understands his game probably better than ever, especially the last couple of years," Ponting said.

“He’s added a couple of different skills maybe the last two or three years that don’t seem like massive things, but he’s sort of incorporated that three-quarters seam, that wobble seam delivery that’s just made his in-swing of that little bit more potent as well and has given him a little bit more variation," he added. (ANI)

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